


Wheel and Turn

by BloomingMiracle (Luna264)



Series: Kingdom Hearts Wheelchair AU [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst and Humor, Gen, Nothing in this game is ADA compliant, bad guy to dad guy, headcanon heavy, i'll probably add more character and relationship tags as they become relevant to posted portions, none of yall better come in here with your shipping hats on, there will be mentions of past relationships in later chapters but nothing active probably, this is an ampersand only zone i swear, wheelchair au, xemnas redemption arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2020-09-28 07:11:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 107
Words: 121,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna264/pseuds/BloomingMiracle
Summary: Sora doesn't like stairs. They're awfully hard to navigate on wheels. So he decides not to go into this "Castle Oblivion" place. It looks like it has a lot of stairs, and also might be a trap. So he leaves it alone. Soon enough, he meets a man on the road, and asks him if he knows where Riku and King Mickey might be. The man answers as best as he can. Sora asks his name, and he gives it; Xemnas.Xemnas isn't sure what to do about Sora apparently deciding that they're friends now. For lack of any better options, he ends up going along with it. After all, it's not like he'll get attached, right?





	1. Sora Meets One Man Who Is Acting Blatantly Evil And One Man Who Is Not

Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked up at the castle in front of them.

“Wasn’t the Hollow Bastion enough?” Sora groaned. “This place probably has even  _ more _ stairs!”

“I feel like the king is in there,” Donald said.

Everyone considered this.

“Well, Donald,” Sora said. “Do you want to carry me up the stairs? Do you want to lift me, wheelchair and all, up every flight of stairs in this castle?”

“Besides, how do we  _ know _ if the king is in there?” Goofy asked. “If he’s not, we’ll have gone all that way for nothing.”

“And we’ll have to get down,” Sora added.

“He’s in there,” A voice behind them said.

They all turned. A man in a black coat stood there, hood covering his face.

“This is definitely a trap,” Sora said. “I’m one hundred percent certain, and I’m not just saying this because I don’t want to deal with stairs.”

The man extended a hand. “No, wait--”

“Are you saying there’s  _ no _ stairs?” Sora asked.

The man hesitated.

“Bye then.” Sora wheeled around the man and started on his way. He did a wheelie, just to show he was serious about leaving. Donald and Goofy followed.

The man removed his hood. “Sora, wait.”

Sora stopped. “How do you know my name?”

“Your friend, who is in there--”

“Can you get them out?”

Marluxia growled impatiently. “No. Only you can do that.”

“Sounds like a trap,” Sora said. “Unless you’ve got an elevator, I’m not interested.”

Marluxia took a deep breath. “Sora--”

“Bye,” Sora said.

“Sora, what if it’s the king?” Donald asked.

“Yes!” Marluxia hopped onto the suggestion like it was the only rock in the middle of a lava river he desperately needed to cross. “Your friend, the king.”

“Sounds fake,” Sora said. “Isn’t the king in the Realm of Darkness?”

“Castle Oblivion is a place between darkness and light,” Marluxia said hurriedly. “He crossed out of the Realm of Darkness here.”

“Why can’t he leave on his own?” Sora asked. “This is sounding awfully contrived.”

“The masters of this palace hold him prisoner,” Marluxia said.

“Uh huh,” Sora said. “And who are the masters of this palace, exactly?”

Marluxia took a moment to compose himself. “A group known as Organization XIII.”

Sora looked between Donald and Goofy. “He can’t expect me to take on a whole Organization,” Sora said. “I’m  _ baby _ .”

Marluxia took another deep breath. “The  _ whole _ Organization isn’t here,” He said. “Only six.”

“And how do you know that, mister black coat man?” Sora asked.

“Uh,” Marluxia said.

“He’s in the Organization,” Sora, Donald, and Goofy said in unison.

“Okay,” Sora said. “He’s also probably lying.”

“Probably,” Goofy said.

They left Marluxia suffering in front of the castle.

~*~*~*~

“That man is in a black coat like that pink haired guy was,” Donald said. “Are you  _ sure _ you want to ask him about Riku?”

“Couldn’t hurt,” Sora said. “Besides, it’s just one of him.”

It had been a few weeks since they’d avoided the Castle Oblivion fiasco, and they had no leads. The three of them approached the man, who was muttering something about bells.

“Excuse me, sir!” Sora said brightly.

The man stiffened, and turned to him slowly. Now that Sora thought about it, the man before him looked kind of like he could have been Ansem’s twin brother or something. “Yes?” He proffered, clearly not sure what to do about the situation.

“Uh,” Sora said. “I’m looking for my friend, Riku. He’s got light, kinda blue back length hair, and he’s my age, and I’m pretty sure he’s allergic to sleeves. Have you seen him?”

The man seemed to genuinely consider that. “No, I don’t believe so,” He said. “What brings you all the way out here looking, young man?”

“My name is Sora,” Sora said. “And, uh, we didn’t have anywhere better to look.”

The man knelt down to look Sora in the eye.

“Don’t do that,” Sora said. “Just stand. It’s more polite.”

“My apologies,” The man said awkwardly, standing back up. “I was just wondering, where did you last see your friend?”

Sora bit his lip. “He was, uh… He kinda got stuck in the Realm of Darkness.”

“That’s unfortunate,” The man said. “You may never see him again.”

“What?” Sora exclaimed. “No! That  _ can’t _ be right!”

“My… Old acquaintance, one might call her, has been in the Realm of Darkness for over a decade now,” The man said. “The only person with the ability she’d need to help her is herself, and she cannot leave alone.”

“Well, then,” Sora said firmly. “Maybe she’ll find Riku, and they’ll get out together!”

“It is not that simple, Sora.”

“Who are you, anyways?” Sora pointed at the man. “Why are you so insistent that Riku isn’t coming back?”

“I am Xemnas.” Xemnas turned and began to walk back the way Sora had come from. “Why are  _ you _ so insistent that he will?”

Sora blinked in confusion as the man walked over a hill and disappeared.

~*~*~*~

The next time Sora, Donald, and Goofy encountered Xemnas was a few weeks later. They had found themselves in a town, and the man was sitting at a table with several papers in front of him.

Sora approached quietly, Donald and Goofy following cautiously. The papers seemed to be for determining some sort of budget.

“Hi again,” Sora said.

Xemnas stiffened. “Oh,” He said. “This is a surprise.”

“What’s ‘Freeshooter’s Mystery Project’?” Sora asked curiously.

“I-- That’s very rude of you, to snoop into my budget,” Xemnas said, collecting his papers quickly. “And I’m not sure, but I think he’s embezzling.”

“Oh,” Sora said.

There was an awkward pause.

“I haven’t seen your friend,” Xemnas said.

“Oh,” Sora said, sadly.

“Come on, Sora, let’s keep looking,” Donald said.

“Alright,” Sora said. “Bye, Xemnas.”

Xemnas put his papers into his bag. “... Best of luck,” He said.

As the trio left, Saix approached Xemnas. “Sir, what are you doing out here?”

“I was just looking over the budget. If Xigbar doesn’t tell us what he’s doing with that money soon, he doesn’t get any more.”

“He’s spoiling Roxas and Xion, Sir.”

“I thought that was yours and Axel’s job,” Xemnas said. “I even allocated funds for it in the budget.”

Saix blinked. “Do they even need spoiled, Sir?” He asked hesitantly.

“They’re children,” Xemnas said. “They work better that way. You were the one teaching them about dark corridors, weren’t you?”

“Yes, Sir, but you see…”


	2. We Find Out What Riku Is Doing While Sora Continues To Be Endearing

“Why are you here?” Zexion asked Riku. “Why are you here and how did you get here?”

“Ansem?” Riku shrugged. “I’ve stopped trying to figure out what he’s doing.”

“Ansem?” Zexion asked.

“That’s his name, yeah,” Riku said. “Do you know him?”

“Maybe,” Zexion said. “Here, listen. If you wait here for, say, ten seconds, I’ll be right back.”

“Why should I trust that?” Riku asked.

Zexion considered the question. “You’re right, that’s an awfully suspicious thing to say. I can try again.”

“Okay.”

“There is a girl here,” Zexion said. “You don’t know her, but Marluxia is being very terrible to her, which is rather inconvenient, all things considered. I was hoping you could get her out of here.”

“You would go against one of your own allies?” Riku asked. “Sounds fake.”

“I am not quite sure of the full extent of her abilities,” Zexion said. “And I’m rather fond of my memories, so I’d prefer she not decide to escape by completely wrecking them.”

Riku considered that. “Understandable,” He allowed. “How do I know I can trust you? Or her?”

“You don’t,” Zexion said. “I might get taken out for helping her escape, which you have no reason to believe either, but I’d honestly prefer that to the alternative.”

“Aw, don’t worry about that.”

Riku and Zexion turned.

“Axel,” Zexion said.

“That’s right,” Axel said. “Look, I’m pretty sure Marluxia and Larxene are planning a coup, and trying to use Namine and Sora for it.”

“Sora?” Riku asked.

“He’s not here,” Axel said. “Anyways. Namine.”

The girl rolled out from behind Axel, nervously.

“Go with Riku. Get out of here.”

Namine and Riku left without too much argument.

“What are you going to do, now?” Zexion asked.

“I’m gonna give team traitor one more chance to play nice,” Axel said. “Their plan took advantage of a lot of coincidences, and I doubt they’ve got another one, so if they fall back into line we can all pretend this never happened.”

Zexion nodded. “That Riku,” He said. “He mentioned he was here because of… Ansem.”

“Ansem?”

“That’s what he said.”

“Same one?”

“I’m… Not sure.”

~*~*~*~

“Hey, Xemnas!” Sora wheeled up to Xemnas as the man demolished a few Heartless. Donald and Goofy trailed helplessly behind.

“Hello, Sora,” Xemnas said. “Still no sign of Riku?”

“No,” Sora said.

“Unfortunate,” Xemnas said. He began to walk down the path.

“So, uh, what brings you out here?” Sora wheeled slowly, keeping pace with Xemnas.

“I go to many places,” Xemnas said.

Sora nodded. There was a moment of silence.

“We should get back to looking for Riku and the king,” Donald said.

“I doubt that will do much,” Xemnas said.

“Hey, Xemnas?” Sora asked.

“Are you about to change the subject?”

“Where’d you get that coat?”

“They are made things,” Xemnas said. “They make… certain forms of travel less perilous.”

“Okay,” Sora said. “Maybe I should get one…”

Xemnas was silent for a moment. Then he snorted. “Perhaps,” He said, some semblance of amusement tinting his voice.

“So, where  _ did _ you get it?”

“The Freeshooter. The reason I was so lenient about his ‘secret project’ was because at one point he acquired the materials for these.”

“Oh,” Sora said. “Can I have one?”

“We can see,” Xemnas said, before thinking. “I’m-- Well, I’m not sure I can get you one.”

“Not much to do about that,” Sora said.

“I suppose not.”

There was a long pause.

“I should be on my way,” Xemnas said. “I’ll… I’m checking in with some acquaintances who have been elsewhere than I, in a short while. I’ll ask them if they’ve seen Riku.”

“Thanks, Xemnas!” Sora said brightly. “I owe you one! See you around!”

Xemnas wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. “Bye,” He said, and left.

~*~*~*~

“So,” Xemnas said. “A young man appeared in the basement, said it was because of ‘Ansem’, and you let him walk out without any more questions?”

“We were on a bit of a time crunch,” Zexion said. “And Marluxia was in a bad mood.”

“I was  _ not _ ,” Marluxia said. “We are Nobodies, we don’t have moods.”

“Well, you were being harsher than average,” Zexion said. “And it was not conducive to a proper work environment.”

Xemnas waved the argument aside. “This young man, did you catch his name?”

“It was Riku,” Axel said. “The kid we thought was gonna have the keyblade, before Sora ended up with it.”

“Riku,” Xemnas said. “Light, somewhat blue hair down to his back? Somewhere around 14 or 15? No sleeves?”

“Yeah,” Axel said.

“Yes, that’s him,” Zexion agreed.

“I see,” Xemnas said. “I was under the impression that he was travelling with Mickey Mouse.”

“Didn’t see Mickey Mouse,” Axel said. “Just Riku.”

“He took the witch, as well,” Marluxia said. “You know, the one we were going to use to control Sora?”

“Marluxia,” Xemnas said. “What did you even intend to have Sora  _ do _ ?”

Marluxia and Larxene shifted nervously.

“Yeah,” Axel said. “He’s already killing Heartless with the keyblade. What else do we need him to do, exactly?”

“You never know…” Larxene muttered.

“And where is Riku, now?” Xemnas asked.

“A man in red bandages provided him with a dark coat,” Vexen said. “It happened not too far outside of Castle Oblivion. From there, he used a dark corridor. He could be anywhere.”

“You saw this happening and did not interfere?” Marluxia asked.

“We had more important business to attend to,” Zexion said.

“Return to your regular duties.” Xemnas rose. “I have other concerns.”

“Yes, Sir,” Everyone said.


	3. Xemnas Realizes He's In This For The Long Haul

Xemnas was not caught by surprise at his next encounter with Sora and the king’s retainers, because he had come to expect them.

“Hi again!” Sora said.

“Hello,” Xemnas said.

“How are you?” Sora asked.

That question through Xemnas for a loop. Still, he thought, he recovered quite admirably. “I-- Well-- I am well. How are you?”

“I’m alright, I guess,” Sora said.

There was a long pause.

“Have you seen Riku?”

Sora was earnest. Xemnas had to give him that. Earnest, loyal, and persistent. “I have not,” Xemnas said.

Sora wilted.

“However--”

“Your friends, did they see him?”

Xemnas took a moment, deciding whether or not to correct the assumption. It wasn’t worth the effort. “They did,” He said. “Briefly, and they parted ways soon after, but Riku is somehow in the Realm of Light.”

“Thank you!” Sora said, pulling Xemnas into a hug.

Xemnas magnanimously allowed it to occur.

“What about the king?” Donald and Goofy asked.

“Unfortunately, they did not see any kings,” Xemnas said.

“Aw,” Sora, Donald, and Goofy said.

~*~*~*~

“So, DiZ got you out of the Realm of Darkness?” Namine asked.

“That’s right!” Mickey said.

“And he gave you a coat?” Namine continued.

“Yes.”

“He didn’t give me a coat.” Namine crossed her arms. “And I can’t borrow Riku’s when we go through the corridors, or he has nightmares.”

“You… noticed?” Riku asked.

“It’s not subtle,” Namine said. “You swear a lot when you have them.”

“Mm,” Riku said.

“In any case,” Mickey said. “We’ve got to go see Master Yen Sid. I really hope Donald and Goofy didn’t forget the emergency ‘I go missing in the Realm of Darkness’ protocol again.”

“That last sentence implies a lot,” Namine said.

“Doesn’t it though?” Riku sighed. “That’s how it is, with the king.”

“How long have you known him?” Namine asked.

“Three months now.”

“Wow.”

~*~*~*~

Sora pulled wordlessly up to where Xemnas was standing.

“Hello, Sora.”

“Hi, Xemnas.”

Silence.

“Still no sign of them.”

“That’s a shame.”

More silence.

“Have you checked places they’d been before they went missing?”

“Huh?”

“Places where you’ve been before,” Xemnas said. “Where you saw them.”

“That’s a good idea,” Sora said.

“I’ve had those, occasionally.”

Sora laughed. “Thanks for the advice, Xemnas. You’re a good friend.”

~*~*~*~

“Xigbar,” Xemnas said. “A word.”

“Sure thing, boss,” Xigbar said, following him to the ‘private discussions with Xemnas’ chamber. “What’s up?”

“I require… advice.” Xemnas did not look at Xigbar as he spoke. “On many of my outings, I have encountered… A boy, the age that Roxas and Xion would be. I have begun to suspect that I am… invested in his emotional and physical wellbeing.”

“What, you’re feeling fatherly towards him?” Xigbar asked.

“I thought we were all agreed that we, as Nobodies, could not feel.”

“Look, boss,” Xigbar said. “I know we all said that, but be level with me. We’re numbers one and two, right? We both know that’s crap.”

Xemnas sighed. “That is true.”

“Exactly,” Xigbar said. “So, you’re feeling fatherly towards this kid. You came to me because I’m the only dad you know. Now, any advice you want?”

“How do I stop?” Xemnas asked.

“You don’t,” Xigbar said. “It’s too late.”

“That can’t be right.”

“It is.” Xigbar shrugged. “I haven’t talked to my son in longer than you’ve been alive, and I still love him.”

“Wait,” Xemnas said. “You had an actual child?”

“Yup. He was a great kid.”

Xemnas wasn’t sure how anyone had met Xigbar in a positive context and not considered him a fatherly individual long enough to actually have a kid with him. He could only assume that the fatherly demeanor had been a result of becoming a legitimate dad.

“So, yeah,” Xigbar said, not noticing or at the very least not acknowledging Xemnas’ confusion. “That ship has sailed. Anything else I can help you with?”

“How… How do I be a good dad?” Xemnas asked.

“Make an effort,” Xigbar said. “Try to keep him out of the impending war. If he doesn’t have a keyblade, do  _ not _ let him have one. I know it’s tempting, but--”

“It’s Sora.”

“Oh, boy.” Xigbar leaned against the wall. “I think you’re gonna end up being a bad dad.”

“Look,” Xemnas said. “If the Organization doesn’t get too involved with him, I’m sure I can balance all the responsibilities of both him and them.”

“No, I think you should let him be and do what I did to cope,” Xigbar said.

“Which is…?”

“Find someone with enough similar traits to project your fatherly emotions onto that isn’t going to end up on the opposite side of a war from you.”

“Is  _ that _ what you’re doing with Roxas and Xion?”

“Roxas looks almost  _ just like _ my son, boss. It’s uncanny. Not to mention  _ Xion’s _ whole deal…”

~*~*~*~

“Do you like your new outfits, dears?” One of the fairies asked.

“These’ll keep us safe from the darkness the same way those coats would?” Riku asked.

“Yes.”

“Then I love it.”

“It’s so nice,” Namine said. “Thank you so much!”

“I appreciate all the hard work you’ve done,” Mickey said.

“You don’t really think Sora’s lost in the Realm of Darkness looking for you, do you?” Namine asked, looking between Riku and Mickey.

“No,” Riku said. “But if we’re going to keep looking for him and the others, we need to be suitably protected from darkness.”

“Right,” Namine said. “Makes sense.”

“I can’t believe Donald and Goofy forgot where to go again,” Mickey said.

“The tower moves around all the time,” One of the fairies said. “They probably can’t find it, but I’m sure they’re trying.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally anything this chapter: *happens*  
Xemnas: ?????????????
> 
> Xemnas realizes he's in for the long haul here but he has no idea how long that haul is, as he does not have access to the word count on my google doc


	4. Everyone Is Very Suspicious And The Only Person Who Cares Is A Duck

“Are you… Trying to do skateboard tricks with your wheelchair?” Donald asked.

They’d found themselves in a place called Twilight Town, and there were a lot of skateboards around.

“Yeah,” Sora said. “I think it’ll help me make friends. Besides, some of these moves might be useful for fighting Heartless.”

“Goofy, help me talk him out of this,” Donald said.

“Huh?” Goofy turned to look at them from where he’d been distracted.

Donald sighed. “What were you even looking at?”

“Sorry,” Goofy said. “I just thought I saw someone watching us.”

“Hey, is that a clock tower?” Sora pointed. “I wonder if we can go to the top!”

“They probably have stairs,” Donald said.

“I got through the Hollow Bastion, I can get up a clock tower.”

~*~*~*~

They actually had an elevator, much to Sora’s delight.

As the trio left the elevator they heard a voice. “Someone’s early.” It seemed good natured. Pleasantly surprised, even.

“I’m sorry,” Sora said, rounding the corner. “Were you expecting someone?”

The man sitting on the ledge stiffened. “You’re… not who I was expecting,” He said.

“Sorry.” Sora shrugged. “I was curious about what was up here, and they had an elevator, even if they didn’t have a ramp outside.”

“Yeah, they need to work on that part. I’m Axel, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, Axel. I’m Sora.”

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Axel laughed. “Yeah, I tried to talk to them about the ramp, but apparently the local government’s been cutting the transportation budget recently.”

“What if you built the ramp?”

Axel sighed. “No time. Between actual work and coworker politics? I’m lucky I’ve got time to snag ice cream and hang out up here.”

“You… Don’t seem to be working now,” Sora said.

“Technically,” Axel said. “I’m watching one of the kids do some solo work.”

“Oh, do they work part time?” Sora asked.

“The kids only have one job a day, which is better than the rest of us,” Axel said. “And, technically, they have solo missions sometimes, but even then one of us has to look out for them. Just… From farther.”

“Who do you work for?” Donald asked.

“Ah, you know,” Axel waved his hand vaguely. “Hey, Sora, see down there?”

“Where?”

“There.” Axel pointed. “That’s an ice cream place. They’ve got all sorts of good flavors, but I’d recommend the sea salt.”

“Sea salt ice cream?”

“Yeah,” Axel said. “I’d let you try some of what I’ve got, but it’s all spoken for.”

Sora looked at the three sticks of ice cream Axel was holding. “Are you gonna eat all of those?”

Axel laughed again. “The kids and I meet up here for ice cream anyways,” He said. “Figured I’d get it early, so I didn’t have to make the extra trip.”

“Mm,” Sora said. “Come on, guys, let’s go get some ice cream!”

~*~*~*~

“I think that guy was in that Organization,” Donald said.

“Huh?” Sora said.

“Same coat, vague about his employment, telling you to go places…” Donald continued.

“It checks out,” Goofy allowed.

“By that logic,  _ Xemnas _ would be in the Organization,” Sora said.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that,” Donald said.

“Come on,” Sora said. “ _ Xemnas _ ? Really?”

“He really might be--”

“Hey, we’re here!” Sora said. “Looks like there’s a line, though.”

“Sora, I’m trying to have a serious conversation with you about safety,” Donald said.

“And I’m seriously invested in getting some ice cream,” Sora said. “So please stop trying to tell me that one of my other friends might be evil, that’s not an ice cream topic.”

“Right,” Donald said. “Ice cream. That another, also possibly evil guy told you to get.”

“Axel was very nice,” Sora said. “I think I’d like to be friends with him.”

“I don’t know, Sora,” Goofy said. “Donald might be right.”

“Mm,” Sora said. “I guess we’ll just have to ask.”

“They’re not going to tell us if they are,” Donald said.

“Then we won’t ask,” Sora said. “Look, whenever we see Xemnas, he’s on his own. I’m sure that, if it came down to a fight, we could handle it.”

Donald did not look convinced, but Goofy accepted that the conversation was not about to go any further as the three of them purchased their ice cream and found a bench to eat at.

~*~*~*~

“I’m telling you, Xion,” Roxas said. “He looked really familiar. I think I might have known him before I was a Nobody.”

“You should talk to him, next time you see him,” Xion said.

“I dunno,” Roxas said. “I think that’s against the rules.”

“I won’t tell,” Xion said.

The elevator dinged, signalling that they were at the top of the tower.

~*~*~*~

“I didn’t expect to find you here,” Xemnas said.

“It was on the way to somewhere else,” Sora said. “I’m surprised to see  _ you _ here.”

“Don’t be,” Xemnas said. “This place is… special.”

“Special how? If you don’t mind me asking, I mean.”

In the background, Donald and Goofy were glancing at each other. They were  _ pretty sure _ that Xemnas was in the Organization.

“This place, Twilight Town…” Xemnas said. “It is a place between. It is a place where Nobodies are born, and where Heartless are drawn to in abnormal amounts. It requires an amount of protection that most places do not.”

“Oh,” Sora said.

“Now do you understand?”

“I guess, but… What’s a Nobody?”

“It is what is left behind when a heart leaves the body.”

“So,” Sora said. “The Heartless is the heart, and the Nobody is the body.”

“In essence, yes,” Xemnas said. “It has been theorized that the Nobody is the body  _ and _ the soul, but there are few Nobodies with enough presence of mind for any interested scientists to study this theory effectively.”

“Mm,” Sora said around his ice cream. “So, if they might have souls, do they act different?”

“Yes,” Xemnas said. “All Nobodies have a concept of rank, for example. Even the dusks.”

“Dusks?”

“The least distinct,” Xemnas said.

“I guess what I really want to know is if I’m gonna have to fight any,” Sora said.

“The future is uncertain, but set,” Xemnas said.

There was a pause.

“So…” Donald said.

“I would hope not, but I don’t know.” Xemnas looked up at the sky. The sun was setting. Then again, it always was.

“Alright,” Sora said.

“I must be off. Good evening.” 


	5. Some People Are More Helpful Than Others And Xigbar Is Not One Of Them

“You haven’t seen Sora?” Riku sighed.

“I’m afraid not,” Alice said. “The Cheshire Cat might have, but he speaks in so many riddles.”

“We’ll have to ask him, then,” Mickey said. “Where is he?”

“Oh, most probably up a tree,” Alice said.

“Oh, bother,” Namine muttered.

The three of them wandered off to find the Cheshire Cat. It took approximately four and a half seconds.

“Hello, hello,” He said from behind them, because he didn’t know or care to show up in front of people.

“Hello,” Namine said.

“Hi,” Riku said. “Have you seen Sora recently?”

“Hm,” The Cheshire Cat stood on his head. “ _ Did _ I see Sora recently?”

There was a pause.

“Did you?” Namine asked.

“Hm,” The Cat said again. “‘Twere Sora, ‘tweren’t Sora.”

“What does that mean?” Riku asked, frustration leaking into his voice.

The Cat picked up his head and lept, lightly landing on Namine’s lap. “‘Tis a princess,” He said. “‘Tisn’t.”

“I don’t get it,” Mickey said.

“I… might,” Namine said. She leaned down and whispered something to the Cat.

“One yes, one no,” He said.

Namine whispered something else to him.

“Bingo.”

“What’s going on?” Riku asked, raising a hand.

The Cheshire Cat vanished, and Namine sighed.

“He hasn’t seen Sora,” She said. “But we might want to find the people he  _ did _ see, anyways.”

“Why?” Mickey asked. “Have  _ they _ seen Sora?”

“Dunno,” Namine said. “But one’s his Nobody, and one’s his replica. I guess Vexen managed something after all.”

Mickey gasped.

“I’m gonna need an explanation on both of those sentences,” Riku decided.

~*~*~*~

“Maybe Beast has seen Riku,” Sora said.

“So the plan is to wait in the courtyard until he shows up?” Goofy asked.

“You could knock on the door,” Sora suggested.

“Hm, maybe I should,” Goofy agreed.

So he did.

Nothing.

“It’s a big castle,” Donald said. “He probably can’t hear that.”

The three of them milled around for a few minutes, trying to figure out their next course of action.

“You know,” Sora said finally. “Maybe he hasn’t--”

The door opened.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy, blinked.

“Oh, well isn’t this a surprise,” Said a man in a black coat that Sora had not seen before. “Well, I suppose we can trust that anything out here has been taken care of.”

“Huh?” A boy around Sora’s age wheeled out from behind the man, curiously. Sora thought that he seemed strangely familiar, and it was clear that the feeling was mutual.

“None of this, now,” The man said. “We should get back to work.”

“Who is he?” The boy demanded, pointing at Sora. “Do I know him?”

“You’ve never met,” The man said.

“Xigbar!” The boy complained.

“Nope, come on.” Xigbar grabbed the handles on the back of the wheelchair and pulled the boy back inside, closing the door.

“Help me up the stairs,” Sora said. “We’re going after them.”

~*~*~*~

“Wait!” Sora called. “Who are you people?”

The pair turned.

“Don’t--” Xigbar said.

“I’m Roxas,” The boy said. “Who are you?”

“I’m telling the boss you did this,” Xigbar sighed.

“It’s your fault he saw us in the first place.” Roxas stuck his tongue out at Xigbar.

“That doesn’t mean you  _ introduce _ yourself.”

“So it’s a problem here,” Roxas said. “But not when you ditched me at the colosseum.”

“That goat at the colosseum was a resident of that world,” Xigbar said.

“Oh, so  _ you’ve _ met this guy?” Roxas asked.

“No,” Sora said. “I’m Sora, by the way.”

“Sora,” Roxas rolled the name over on his tongue. “Yeah, that sounds familiar…”

“Roxas, we’re leaving,” Xigbar said.

Roxas wheeled away from Xigbar. “I am trying to have a conversation,” He said.

“Our job is  _ not _ to have conversations,” Xigbar said. “That is the exact opposite of our job.”

“Everyone else except me and Xion remember what life was like Before,” Roxas said. “Just give me this,  _ please _ .”

“You are rather young,” Xigbar said. “It’s probably--”

“Axel never forgot,” Roxas said. “And he was younger than us when  _ he _ became a Nobody.”

“You kids are too smart,” Xigbar grumbled.

“Let’s back up a bit here,” Sora said. “You’re Nobodies?”

“Everyone in the Organization is,” Roxas shrugged. “Why? Do you have a heart?”

“Yeah,” Sora said, trying not to think about that time he was a Heartless for a hot second. Was he still a Heartless? That sounded like a question to launch a thousand existential crises, so he was going to ignore it.

“Cool.” Roxas wheeled around Sora invesitigatively. “I haven’t met that many people with hearts.”

“Mm,” Sora said.

“Roxas, it’s time to go,” Xigbar said. “We’ll be lucky if all we do is hang for this.”

“But we haven’t killed enough Heartless yet,” Roxas said. “Won’t Saix be disappointed?”

“It’s not Saix we have to worry about,” Xigbar said. “And who was reminding who of what happened when we went to the colosseum?”

“Right,” Roxas sighed, rolling back over to Xigbar. “Bye, Sora. Bye, Sora’s friends.”

A pillar of darkness appeared, and Roxas and Xigbar entered it. When it vanished, so had they.

“Axel  _ is _ in the Organization,” Donald said.

“Hm,” Sora said. “Yeah, I guess Roxas did  _ say _ that, didn’t he?”

“It sounds like there’s a lot Roxas doesn’t know, though,” Goofy said. “Even though he’s a member, too.”

“And there’s at least one other kid,” Sora said. “Roxas and Axel both mentioned that, in their own ways.”

“Then why are they giving  _ you _ such a hard time?” Donald asked.

“Oh, shut up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Riku: Can I get some information? Can I please get some information???  
Cheshire Cat: riddle time :)c  
Riku: :(  
Cheshire Cat: fine I'll give you some easy mode riddles you big baby  
Riku: :|
> 
> Roxas: this Sora guy seems really familiar somehow I wonder why that is  
Xigbar: (・・；)


	6. Saix Isn't Paid Enough To Deal With This Band Of Hooligans (Part One)

Saix sighed.

“And you couldn’t  _ stop him _ ?”

“He’s a kid,” Xigbar said. “I guess that leaves him with a base drive to interact with other kids.”

“Including Sora.” Saix leaned back in the chair designated for such purposes.

“Perhaps especially,” Xigbar said. “They both noted that the other seemed familiar, and they are  _ technically _ something like brothers, if you think about--”

“I don’t need your rationalization,” Saix said. “How am I going to explain this to Xemnas?”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Xigbar said. “I mean, it’s not like he’ll be upset.”

“If you’re so sure, then  _ you _ can be the one to tell him,” Saix said petulantly. “I have better things to do than take the hit for  _ your _ mistakes.”

“Yeah, I can do that,” Xigbar said. “See, now I’m the one who’s gonna do it, and I’m not worried. It’s fine.”

“We  _ can’t _ be worried,” Saix said. “We don’t feel.”

“Well, you’re certainly putting up a good imitation,” Xigbar said. “You really need a break. Were you still working over vacation?”

“Too much to do,” Saix said. “We still haven’t quite hammered out the budget.”

“Yikes.” Xigbar leaned on the chair. “Get some rest, tall child.”

“If you call me that again I’m declaring you a traitor to the Organization and having Axel eliminate you,” Saix said.

Xigbar laughed.

“Who’s imitating emotions now?”

“It’s good practice,” Xigbar said. “Besides, a good laugh is good for the body. You should try it some time.”

Saix chuckled experimentally. “I’m not getting it,” He said.

“I said a  _ good _ laugh, not… Whatever that was.”

“What’s wrong with my laugh?”

“You don’t put anything into it,” Xigbar said. “You’ve gotta support the laugh. It’s like singing.”

“I’ve never sung.”

“Unacceptable,” Xigbar said. “I’m getting an Organization choir going.”

“Absolutely not.”

~*~*~*~

Roxas looked up at Castle Oblivion, and glanced to Xemnas. He wanted to ask what they were doing there, but at the same time, he didn’t want to sound insubordinate.

So instead, he followed Xemnas through the castle. They used dark corridors to bypass stairs, which were numerous, but other than that they just… kept going. Roxas wasn’t sure whether this situation was about the journey or the destination.

Finally, they reached a door.

“This is the Chamber of Repose,” Xemnas said.

“Okay,” Roxas said.

“Somewhere in this castle is hidden its opposite number, the Chamber of Awakening,” Xemnas continued. “But that chamber is sealed, hidden away.”

“Oh.”

Xemnas opened the door, and the two of them entered.

The room was dark, and there was a chair in the center. Roxas could see something on the other side of the chair, but he couldn’t tell what.

Xemnas gestured for him to wait, and walked around the chair. He grabbed something from the floor and returned.

It was a helmet.

Roxas caught it, when Xemnas dropped it in his lap.

“You will be finding the Chamber of Awakening,” Xemnas said. “You may use any tool in this castle.”

“Sir?” Roxas turned the helmet over in his hands. It, too, felt familiar, but in a different way than Sora had.

“Inside the Chamber of Awakening is a boy named Ventus,” Xemnas said. “The owner of this armor sealed his body away, when his heart was damaged and set itself wandering.”

“So, he’s a Nobody?”

“His heart was not given up, or stolen,” Xemnas said. “It was  _ damaged _ , Roxas. Almost destroyed. So now, he sleeps in the Chamber of Waking, and it is there he will be woken.”

“Okay,” Roxas said. “So, what do I do when I find him?”

“Wake him up.”

The helmet in Roxas’ hands clattered to the floor. “I-- I don’t know how to do that!” Roxas protested. “If he’s not--”

“His heart set itself wandering over a decade ago,” Xemnas said. “He sleeps, preserved and hidden, because it found a place to rest.”

“I… Don’t understand.”

“I find it likely that his heart somehow found its way to your original self,” Xemnas said. “Then, I think, it stayed with you, when your own did not.”

Roxas’ eyes widened.

“It would explain quite a bit,” Xemnas said. “For example, your ability to use the keyblade.”

Roxas summoned his keyblade, then, turning it over in his hands. “Does it?”

“ _ My _ original self was a keyblade master,” Xemnas said. “And yet, I did not retain the ability.”

“Oh,” Roxas said. “Yeah, I guess that’d explain it, then.”

“It also might explain your lack of memory.”

“Huh?”

“Your body has one set of memories, yet the heart inside it has another. Your mind cannot decide which to remember.” Xemnas walked out the door of the room, but did not close it. “If you can find Ventus, restore his heart to him, and awaken him, you might regain your memories.”

“But I might  _ lose _ the keyblade,” Roxas said, thinking of when Xion had lost hers.

“Perhaps,” Xemnas said. “And if you do not, you will be a true master of it.”

Then he left.

Slowly, Roxas moved to investigate the rest of the armor. Even slower, he dispelled his keyblade and picked up the one he found there.

~*~*~*~

“No Roxas today?” Xion asked.

“Saix said that the boss had a special job for him,” Axel said. “He might not be back for a while.”

“Oh,” Xion said. “How long’s ‘a while’?”

“Could be another day, could be a lot longer.” Axel looked out over Twilight Town. “I heard he messed up on his mission with Xigbar yesterday.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Xion asked. “Because you’d better not be.”

“I doubt it’s a suicide mission,” Axel assured her. “But it might be a hopeless one. If it is, he’ll be back in a week or two. Doubt they could spare him for longer.”

“I’ve got the keyblade, too,” Xion said.

They sat for a while longer.

“A week or so ago,” Xion said, hesitantly. “He saw someone here in town that he said looked familiar. Like, that he might have known Before, you know?”

“Did he?”

“Yeah,” Xion said.

“Did he tell you anything about this person?”

“No,” Xion said. “I didn’t ask.”

“Hm,” Axel said. “I see.”

Another silence.

“He’ll be back, right?” Xion asked.

“Yeah,” Axel said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is the Chamber of Repose in Castle Oblivion? It is now.
> 
> Xigbar is wrong about a lot of things, but a good laugh being healthy for you is not one of them. He's right about that one. I highly recommend you all find something to laugh about if you haven't yet today.


	7. It Might Have Been Irrelevant Except For The Fact That It Was Never Going To Be

“So, you haven’t seen him?” Sora asked.

“No,” Hercules said. “Sorry.”

Sora wilted.

“Why don’t you hang out a while?” Hercules suggested. “Do some training? Maybe he’ll show up.”

“Maybe,” Sora said.

“Come on!” Hercules said. “Phil’ll be glad to see you.”

Sora and Hercules raced off, leaving Donald and Goofy to their own devices when it came to catching up.

~*~*~*~

“Okay, so,” Riku said. “That’s a lot to unpack.”

“Yeah, I guess it would be,” Namine said. “I didn’t think it’d come up.”

“You didn’t think it’d come up,” Riku repeated.

“Yeah.”

“It wasn’t gonna come up that you were a Nobody of one of my friends, made from the body of another one of my friends, who is also, technically, a Heartless, but all back to a human person because of princess magic.”

“Well, when you put it that way,” Namine said.

“Why are you blonde?” Riku asked.

She shrugged.

“Riku,” Mickey said. “You can’t just ask people why they’re blonde.”

“Sora and Kairi both have brown hair and I want to know where she inherited it from,” Riku said.

“She’s got about the same eye color,” Mickey said.

“A disproportionate amount of people do,” Riku agreed.

“We’re getting distracted,” Namine said.

“Right, right,” Riku said. “Focusing. How do we find Sora, as well as his Nobody and also the replica this Vexen dude has made of him?”

“That’s the hard part,” Namine said. “But Mickey has a keyblade and Riku has a similarly functioning blade that isn’t key shaped but could start being as such at any time, so I have a feeling that the universe is gonna throw you at as many other people who also have them as it can manage, somehow.”

“She’s right,” Mickey said. “That’s a documented phenomenon.”

“Documented by who?” Riku asked.

“Old people,” Mickey said. “Anyways, that means that our best bet is to just keep moving. We’ll run into them eventually.”

“I want a better plan,” Riku said.

“Make one,” Mickey said.

~*~*~*~

Sora froze.

“Sora?” Hercules asked.

Sitting in the otherwise empty stands was Axel.

“Who’s that?” Hercules looked between Axel and Sora. “Do you know him?”

“We’ve met,” Axel said casually.

Sora wasn’t really quite sure how to respond to Axel’s presence.  _ Was _ he a member of Organization XIII? What did it mean if he was? Should Sora  _ ask _ ?

“What, no hello?” Axel put his hands behind his head casually.

“Sorry,” Sora said. “I just-- What are you doing here?”

“Technically,” Axel said, “I’m supposed to be wrecking some serious blobs. But they can wait a second or two.”

Sora wasn’t quite sure if he considered this friendly or kind of weird.

“So.” Axel stood, and began to walk lazily down the stands. “You’ve met Roxas, huh?”

“Little bit,” Sora said.

“Roxas?” Hercules muttered. “Like that kid Phil decided to start training?”

“Don’t expect him back too quickly, he’s got work,” Axel said. “Anyways, look, Sora. I’ve got one little request for you, and if you follow through, we’re not gonna have any problems, personally.”

“And what is that?” Sora asked slowly.

“You don’t hurt Roxas or Xion,” Axel said. “Any reason, you hear? If they get told to fight you for whatever reason, just leave.”

“I won’t go out of my way to fight anyone,” Sora said. “But I’m not going to take a beating just because someone asked me to. If I was that kind of guy, I’d’ve died the first time Ansem told me to ‘submit’.”

“Ansem?” Axel asked.

“Yeah,” Sora said. “Grown adult, kind of silvery hair down to about his mid-back, possessed my friend Riku for a bit. You know him?”

Axel considered that. “I think I knew a different person who is also named Ansem,” He decided.

“Oh, okay,” Sora said. “Does he also possess people?”

“I… don’t think so,” Axel said. “He probably would’ve possessed one of the others by now, if that was something he had any capacity or inclination to do.”

“Maybe he has and you can’t tell,” Sora suggested.

“We do have some blondes,” Axel allowed. “I know Vexen was already blond, though, and I doubt the old man would possess Larxene… Demyx, maybe? Oh, I’m getting off topic.”

“No, I think you were still on the topic that I was on,” Sora said.

“Look,” Axel said. “Just leave the kids alone, okay? They’ve got enough going on.”

“I am also a kid who’s got enough going on,” Sora said. “I’ll leave them alone if they leave me alone.”

Axel sighed. “That’s the best I’m gonna get from you, huh? I suppose it’ll do.”

“It’s gonna have to,” Sora said.

“Fine, fine.” Another one of those pillars of darkness appeared. “I’ll be going.”

Before anyone else could say anything, Axel stepped into the darkness and disappeared.

Donald and Goofy returned with snacks at exactly that moment.

“Did we miss anything good?” Donald asked.

“A whole guy,” Sora said. “Axel. You  _ were _ right about him.”

“While we’re on the topic of me being right--”

“This isn’t about Xemnas,” Sora said.

“This is definitely about Xemnas,” Donald said.

~*~*~*~

“Maybe the issue’s the dark corridors,” Roxas muttered. “But then, how else am I supposed to get up these stairs?”

The empty room did not answer him.

He held the helmet again, running his fingers along the grooves before lifting it over his head.

Something… twinged. Not physically, but it was the only word Roxas had to describe the sensation. Don’t put on the helmet, it seemed to say. It was never mine.

“Who are you, Ventus?” Roxas whispered. “Whose armor was this?”

If there was any answer, he could not perceive it.

Frustrated, Roxas put the helmet on.

It was broken. Roxas removed it quickly, hoping no glass had gotten in his eyes, and sighed. No clues.

“I wonder how much of what he said was crap,” Roxas sighed.

“I wouldn’t worry about that too much.” Xigbar clapped a hand onto Roxas’ shoulder. “What’s he want you to do?”

Roxas was too busy choking out of sheer surprise to answer.

“So, this is the Chamber of Repose,” Xigbar continued, unphased. He began to walk around the room. “Yeesh, what a downer. And this armor-- useless! Wow, I can’t believe the boss talks to this stuff. Didn’t take him for the sentimental type.”

Roxas followed behind Xigbar with some mixture of worry and curiosity. “Do you… know whose armor this was?”

“Her name was Aqua,” Xigbar said. “She’s lost to the darkness now. Cared too much, or something. You’d think the boss would consider it an object lesson, and toss this junk.”

“Were they friends?”

“Nope,” Xigbar said. “Boss man just ended up looking like one of hers, is all. People look like each other all the time. It doesn’t  _ mean _ anything, but sometimes their hearts think it does.”

Roxas thought about Xemnas telling him he looked like Ventus. “Oh,” He said.

“So, kiddo, what’s got you out here, anyways?”

“I’m-- I’m supposed to be looking for the Chamber of Waking.” Roxas set the helmet on the throne-like chair at the center of the room. “I should get back to work. Please don’t break anything, you might get me in trouble.”

“Right, right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing Mickey in this chapter, and if I had to think of one thing that me from a year ago wouldn't believe I'd said, it'd probably be that.


	8. Saix Isn't Paid Enough To Deal With This Band Of Hooligans (Part 2)

Sora found Xemnas outside the arena that evening.

“Oh, hey!” He said brightly.

“Hello, Sora.”

Sora rolled up and sat next to Xemnas. “Something on your mind?” He asked.

Xemnas was quiet for a long moment. “I’ve been searching for someone as well,” He said finally. “Someone who may well be very important in the days to come. I may have discovered a new lead, but it has meant…”

“Something you’re not sure you’re ready for?” Sora asked.

“That ship has sailed,” Xemnas said. “There was someone who needed to be told things, and now he has been told. Still, there is a chance that once this comes to fruition, he may come to despise me. Look for a way to undermine me.”

“Are you worried about that person you’re looking for?”

Xemnas paused for another long moment. “I am not sure. I don’t believe either of them would move to harm the other, but, well, there are other ways they might seek my ruin.”

“Oh,” Sora said.

They were silent for a while longer.

“Hope he doesn’t,” Sora said.

“Hm?” Xemnas looked at him, genuine confusion crossing his features.

“Well, we’re friends, aren’t we?” Sora said. “I know, maybe I could talk to those people, and tell them how much you’ve helped me while I’ve been looking for Riku!”

“I’ve… helped?”

“You’ve been very supportive,” Sora said. “And you were the one who told me he was back in the Realm of Light, and if I find him in one of the worlds I visited before, that’ll be because of you.”

“Oh,” Xemnas said quietly.

They were quiet again, but this time, it was a little more comfortable.

“This person,” Sora said. “That you’re looking for. Who is he?”

“A keyblade wielder,” Xemnas said. “Much like yourself, in many ways, but different as well.”

“That’s super descriptive,” Sora said.

“He is in three parts,” Xemnas said. “One walking, one waiting, one resting.”

“Sometimes,” Sora said. “I have no idea what you’re saying.”

“It is not that important,” Xemnas said. “This is something I will handle.”

“... Okay,” Sora said. “Good luck.”

“I… appreciate the sentiment.”

~*~*~*~

Riku collapsed in frustration. “Peter Pan hasn’t seen them, either. Where could they be?”

“We should keep looking,” Namine said.

“We’ve been looking for a long time now,” Mickey said. “We’ll have to rest soon.”

“I’m not resting until we find Sora,” Riku said.

Mickey and Namine looked at where he was lying on the ground.

“Okay,” Namine said.

They set up camp there.

~*~*~*~

Sora and the Cheshire Cat looked at each other.

“So,” Sora said.

“Sew?” The Cat held up a needle.

“I’m gonna ask you a question,” Sora said. “And I would really appreciate it if you gave me a regular answer.”

“Nonesuch,” The Cat said. “I do not the regular, not for king nor masterless apprentice, nor for a princess without a crown. Not for the three who asked the opposite of what lies on your tongue, not for the three that you are.”

Sora blinked. He looked at Donald and Goofy. “Did either of you two catch that?”

“The king was here?” Goofy asked.

“The little king, who wanders.” The Cat rolled over in the air. His head did not. “Who wonders, and wishes, and seeks. For the boy, the boy, the girl. For the boy, and the man, and the woman. For duck and dog and key. Who passes through with the shell and the twilight beside him, yes, I may have seen him.”

“Where did he go?” Sora asked.

“To seek, and where to seek he neglected to say.” The Cheshire Cat juggled his head idly. “To follow the princess of emptiness, to find all the pieces of her brothers and sisters, and perhaps to put them back together again. But, ah, perhaps not to, too.”

With a start, Sora realized that the Cat was now wearing a tutu.

“Great,” Sora sighed. “So, we still don’t know where Riku and the king are.”

“But they’re together,” Goofy said.

“And with somebody,” Donald added.

“‘The princess of emptiness’,” Sora muttered. “‘The princess without a crown’.”

“Are you talking about one of the Princesses of Heart?” Goofy asked.

The Cat chuckled. “‘Tis a princess, ‘tisn’t one,” He said.

“Descriptive,” Sora said.

“I do so tend to be,” The Cat agreed amicably.

~*~*~*~

“So, Saix,” Axel said. “What  _ is _ Roxas doing, anyways?”

“Lord Xemnas simply said he had a special job for him,” Saix said. “I wasn’t given details.”

“Was that it?” Axel groaned.

“Yes,” Saix said. “However, I have spoken to the Superior since Roxas’ assignment. Whatever he is doing, he is truly on his own for it.”

“So it’s not gonna, like, kill him or anything,” Axel said. “No risk of that.”

Saix did not pause to confirm or deny the statement. “Furthermore, no one is to be assigned to Castle Oblivion until further notice.”

“I see,” Axel said. “It’s unlikely that anyone would go without being prompted, and some would take a blanket ban from the location for as much of a reason as an assignment.”

“Precisely,” Saix said. “I’ve been specifically instructed not to go, but as for the rest of the Organization, I suppose that not bringing it up is going to keep it out of their minds.”

“I should check on him,” Axel said. “Just to make sure he’s doing alright.”

“Please don’t,” Saix said. “I would prefer not to get in trouble because of your attachment to a child.”

“That’s what children are for, right?” Axel laughed. “Getting attached to?”

“Roxas and Xion are in this Organization to kill Heartless,” Saix said. “I do not know what Lord Xemnas is having him do, but I would assume it is to further that goal.”

Axel sighed. “You’re losing focus, Saix,” He said. “Remember why we’re here.”

“I should be the one reminding you,” Saix said. “These children are distracting you from our goal.”

“We can heal, Saix,” Axel said. “We can look for her, and still heal.”

“You’re not doing much looking.” Saix began to walk away.

“Neither are you.”

Saix whirled. “How  _ dare _ you--”

“Face it, Saix,” Axel said. “We’re doing what there is to do, sure, but there isn’t much, is there?”

Saix’s glare could have melted iron, but it was nothing compared to the strange, neutral calm on Axel’s face.

“I’m going to check on Roxas,” Axel said. “Who knows, maybe  _ she’s _ somewhere in Castle Oblivion, too.”

“You checked every inch of that place,” Saix fumed.

“And I didn’t find the room that the boss was looking for, did I?”

Axel walked away.

He waited until he had passed through a dark corridor to a random world before releasing a deafening, fiery yell, incinerating a good portion of the plant-life in his immediate vicinity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing the Cheshire Cat. I'd talk like him all the time if I had the energy. Lucky for everyone around me, I don't.
> 
> I feel like, even though Axel's more emotional than Saix most of the time, Saix would get angrier. I mean, he's bottling it up all the time. He's not paid enough. He has to deal with Axel, which is not a problem Axel has, and while Axel is a great and fun dude I can imagine someone who's convinced that neither of them feels anything could find him a little grating.
> 
> Also, "she" is Patient X. I don't know if Nomura has any idea who she is yet, but I've made some decisions. Y'all'll find out... *looks at word count* ... eventually.


	9. Nothing Is Ever A Coincidence In Any Situation And Roxas Takes His Job Very Seriously

Riku, Namine, and Mickey had found themselves in Twilight Town on their search, and they were more than a little confused about it.

“Why here, Riku?” Namine asked.

“I don’t know,” Riku said. “I just set out for somewhere random, and we ended up here.”

“Maybe there’s a clue here,” Mickey said.

“Or maybe it’s just a coincidence,” Riku said.

“When was the last time anything was just a coincidence, Riku?” Namine asked.

“Castle Oblivion,” Riku said.

“Oh, yeah,” Namine said. “Castle Oblivion, where you found what again? A shadowy Organization seeking to manipulate one of your best friends for their own gain? Me? That guy DiZ who hated me for no reason?  _ That _ Castle Oblivion?”

“You really are related to Kairi,” Riku muttered.

“Okay,” Namine said. “So, let’s check around town, okay?”

“Alright,” Riku sighed.

“I wonder what’s down there.” Mickey pointed at the nearby to an underground tunnel system.”

“It’s as good a place to start as any,” Riku sighed. “Looks like there’s stairs, though. Ready, Namine?”

Namine nodded, and Riku hoisted her onto his back. Mickey folded up her wheelchair and carried it as they entered the tunnels.

They weren’t in there for very long when they saw a Heartless. It was a soldier-type, and it was dancing around the middle of a staircase.

At the bottom of the stairs, a very unimpressed looking girl in a wheelchair and a black coat cast a fire spell, killing it.

The trio descended to meet her.

“Hiya,” Mickey said. “I’m Mickey, what’s your name?”

The girl blinked, nonplussed.

“I’m Namine,” Namine said. “And this is Riku.”

“Hey,” Riku said.

“I’m… Xion,” The girl said. “I should get going. I’ve got more Heartless to kill.”

“We can help you out with that,” Mickey said.

“I don’t have a keyblade,” Namine said. “But I might be able to stun some of them.”

“You don’t--” Xion said. “Wait, does that mean you two  _ do _ ?”

“Yes,” Mickey said.

“It’s complicated,” Riku said.

“Alright,” Xion said. “I guess it’ll be easier if you help out.”

A big Heartless appeared right then, conveniently. Mickey and Xion summoned their keyblades. Riku summoned his blade that was not really key shaped.

Namine glared at it, and it fell over.

Riku, Mickey, and Xion all looked at it. They looked at each other. They looked at Namine. They looked at each other again.

Riku shrugged and started stabbing it, and Mickey and Xion shrugged and joined him.

“You know?” Xion said. “This could work.”

~*~*~*~

“Roxas, buddy!” Axel said.

Roxas looked up from where he’d been carefully inspecting a wall, looking for any sign that a door might be hiding there. “Axel?”

“How have you been?”

“It was quiet, until today,” Roxas said. “Xigbar’s around somewhere, too.”

“Is he?” Axel said. “Well, who cares about that. Brought you some ice cream, since you’ve been missing ice cream days.”

Roxas accepted the ice cream. “Thanks,” He said. “How have you and Xion been?”

“Oh, same old, mostly,” Axel said. “Wish you could hang out, obviously, but there’s not much any of us can do about that. Boss has you looking for the Chamber of Waking?”

“Yeah,” Roxas said.

“Ouch,” Axel said. “Yeah, he made me look for that once, too.”

“Ah,” Roxas said.

“It’s a wild goose chase, really,” Axel said. “So you can take a break while you’re here, I guess. I searched for ages.”

Roxas took the information in silently.

“It’s rough, huh?” Axel said.

“He told me why he was having  _ me _ search,” Roxas said very quietly.

Axel blinked. “Hm?”

“Nevermind, it’s--”

“No, I heard you,” Axel said. “What’d he say?”

~*~*~*~

“No Riku?” Sora sighed.

“No Riku,” Aladdin said. “Sorry.”

“Where could he be?” Sora groaned.

“Somewhere, certainly,” Aladdin said. “We can call Genie and see if he knows, but…”

“He’s getting his first time off in thousands of years,” Sora said.

“Yeah, basically,” Aladdin said. “I wish I could help, Sora, but--”

“If you don’t know, you don’t know,” Sora said. “It’s not your fault, Al.”

“Good luck,” Aladdin said.

“Thanks,” Sora said. “I’m gonna need it.”

~*~*~*~

“I think that’s all for today,” Xion said. They were up by the train station now.

“Alright,” Riku said. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, where’d you get that coat?”

“Oh,” Xion said. “It’s my uniform.”

“Cool, cool,” Riku said. “It’s just, one time I met some other people wearing coats just like that, and I was wondering if you know them.”

“Maybe,” Xion said. “Who?”

“Their names were Zexion and Axel,” Riku said.

“Oh!” Xion said brightly. “Yeah, I know them. Axel’s my friend.”

“Cool, cool,” Riku said.

“He’s alright in my book, at least,” Namine said. “I guess that means I can trust your judgement of characters, huh Xion?” She smiled.

“Sure?” Xion said.

“So,” Namine said, adjusting her position slightly. “Who else do you spend time with, as friends?”

“Well, there’s my friend Roxas,” Xion said. “He’s been scheduled on a pretty long job, though. Axel said he’d ask when he was expected back, but I haven’t heard anything further yet.”

“Aw, that’s rough,” Namine said. “Do you know where he is? Maybe you could go visit him.”

Xion shook her head. “Dunno. Not sure if I’d be allowed to visit, either.”

“Dang,” Namine said. “Is it just them?”

“Sometimes Larxene drags me off for girl time,” Xion said. “She says a lot of mean things, but she says them about everyone and sometimes when I’m mad at Saix I’ll bring him up and she’ll ‘roast’ him, so that’s alright I guess.”

“Fun,” Namine said.

“Everyone else is just kind of there, I guess.” Xion shrugged.

“Saix sounds like a jerk,” Riku said.

“Riku!” Mickey said. “Language!”

“It’s… not that bad of a word,” Namine said.

Riku shrugged. “Ansem’s an--”

“No!!” Mickey cut him off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roxas: I either buckle down and do my work or I'll end up at mcdonalds  
Axel: We going to mcdonalds if you dont do your work?? 👀👀  
Roxas: nO
> 
> Namine: why the h*ck is it so hard to find Sora  
Riku: why did you censor "heck"  
Mickey: because its a fucking bad word


	10. Sora Uses The Power Of Missing His Friends To Make A Conference Call

_ “Riku…” Sora muttered. His eyes were half lidded, but it was impossible to tell with the darkness of the sky above him. The ground below was hard, but warm. _

_ “Who’s there?” Another voice asked, somewhere away from him. It sounded like his own, but spoken differently. Angry, wary, and with a different accent. _

_ Sora rolled, opening his eyes and turning towards the sound. He could make out four people in the light coming from below them. One of the people turned to him, yellow eyed and black haired and wild and nothing at all like him, but nothing at all different, either. _

_ Where two people lay together, one stood, lifting the other into his arms on a half-acknowledged instinct. Those two, as well, were the same, but different. Almost belatedly, Sora recognized Roxas. _

_ The final person pushed herself to a sitting position, looked around, and seemed to draw a wheelchair from the air around her, climbing into it as everyone else looked around at each other. _

_ “Ventus,” The boy who was so different, so similar, said. “What’s going on? What did you do?” _

_ “Someone’s heart,” Ventus said. He walked a ways, and looked to the ground. Then he looked back, and his eyes focused on Sora. “There.” _

_ “Hi,” Sora said. “I’m Sora.” _

_ “I’m Ventus,” Ventus said. “That’s Vanitas, and I don’t know either of these other people.” _

_ Roxas dragged a wheelchair into existence, and Ventus set him in it. _

_ “I’m Xion,” The girl said. “That’s Roxas.” _

_ “It’s nice to meet you,” Ventus said. _

_ “Yeah, whatever,” Vanitas said. “Sora, why are we here?” _

_ “I don’t know,” Sora said. _

_ “Why do Ventus and Roxas look exactly the same?” Xion asked. _

_ Ventus shrugged. _

_ “Apparently,” Roxas said. “His heart might be hanging out in my body for some reason, despite me not having ever been him in any capacity. That might have something to do with it.” _

_ “There’s a lot to unpack there,” Vanitas said. _

_ “When did you find this out?” Xion and Sora asked in unison. _

_ “When I got told to find the Chamber of Waking, where he supposedly is,” Roxas said. “There was a lot of theorizing as part of my briefing.” _

_ “I would like my heart back,” Ventus said. “If you could find me, that’d be great.” _

_ “I’m doing my best,” Roxas said. _

_ “Okay,” Vanitas said. “This is great and all, but Ventus, we’re gonna fight now.” _

_ “Why?” Ventus asked. “Because Xehanort wanted us to? What good did he ever do you?” _

_ Vanitas considered that for a moment. “You know what?” He said. “I don’t care. Fight me.” _

_ “No fighting in my heart,” Sora said. “I won’t stand for it. Someone would have to clean that up, and since it’s my heart, it’d have to be me.” _

_ “Let’s all just try really hard to wake up now,” Xion said. “I feel like we’ve had enough of a time here. It’s been funky.” _

_ She flashed a peace sign to everyone else and pinched her arm. _

~*~*~*~

“That Roxas,” Namine said. “I think he’s one of the people we’re looking for.”

“But… He’s in the Organization,” Riku said.

“They’re Nobodies, all of them,” Namine said. “Like me. They don’t have hearts.”

“I’ve got some doubts,” Riku said. “Are you  _ sure _ you don’t have hearts? I mean, you all act like you do.”

“We’re pretty good actors,” Namine said. “Some of us even fool ourselves.”

“Okay,” Riku said, unconvinced. “So, this Roxas fellow. You think he’s Sora’s Nobody?”

“He must be,” Namine said. “He’s in the Organization, and his name has all the same letters, plus the X all the members have.”

“Yeah, that tracks,” Riku said.

“So, how do we find him?” Mickey asked.

“He’s doing  _ something _ , so he’s out and about,” Namine muttered. “She didn’t mention anyone being with him, but she might not have thought it important…”

“If he’s on his own, will he be somewhere relatively low risk?” Mickey mused. “Or is he clearing somewhere out?”

“Castle Oblivion,” Riku said.

Namine and Mickey stiffened.

“It makes sense,” Namine said. “But…”

“You don’t have to come,” Riku said. “I understand if--”

“I’ll come,” Namine said firmly. “I can help.”

“Yeah,” Riku said. “But I’d understand if you were hesitant to go to the castle again.”

“I am,” She admitted. “But this is important.”

“If Roxas is there, he might be able to help us find Sora,” Mickey agreed.

“And Sora’s replica,” Namine said. “The Cat said he had one.”

“Right,” Riku and Mickey said.

~*~*~*~

Roxas awoke, yawning as he transferred himself from the softest bench he’d been able to find back into his chair.

“Was it all a dream?” He muttered.

It had felt so real, but how could it have been? Xion was in it because she was his friend. Ventus had been there because he’d been thinking about him, and he’d looked like Roxas because Xemnas had implied he might.

Sora, too, was just there because he’d been on Roxas’ mind when he’d fallen asleep. And that Vanitas character? Probably just made up.

Blearily, Roxas opened a corridor, intending to return to the floor he’d been on when he’d gotten tired.

But something in the back of his mind stopped him. He closed the corridor, turning to look towards… something.

He blinked. He was staring at a wall. There was nothing there.

But beyond the wall, something inside of him suggested. What might be beyond the wall?

Rooms he’d already checked, which had been lacking in life or color or apparent purpose.

Something stirred in his chest impatiently, urging him to check again.

What would it hurt to indulge that stir, a little? 

~*~*~*~

Riku, Namine, and Mickey looked up at Castle Oblivion.

“I don’t know, do you trust like that?” Namine said.

“Absolutely not,” Riku said. “But I’m going to go in anyways.”

“Fair enough,” Namine said. “Let’s go.”

“Right,” Mickey said.

They entered the castle, and looked at the stairs leading onwards.

“Alright,” Riku said, picking up Namine. “Is the whole castle like this?”

“I didn’t see a lot of it when I was here,” Namine said. “But I think so, yeah.”

They began to climb the stairs.

“I swear,” Riku said. “So many architects are allergic to ramps.”

“They don’t seem to know the definition of the word,” Namine said. “I mentioned it to Marluxia and he gave me a dirty look.”

“Wheels exist,” Riku said. “That guy needs to get over himself.”

“A lot of the Organization members that were here seemed pretty self-righteous,” Namine said. “Some of them had redeemable qualities, though.”

“Like Axel and Zexion letting you escape.”

“Yeah, like that.”

“I hate to interrupt,” Mickey said. “But we don’t know who’s here or how they’ll react to us. It might be best to be discreet for a while.”

“Well, we’re hardly camouflaged,” Riku said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vanitas: "Why do Ven and I have accents, that's not canon"  
Me: "Everyone, ever, has an accent, and you two are from a different place than Sora, so it's something he'd notice, shut up."  
Xion: "Why do Sora and I have the same accent then"  
Me: "Legally, I cannot tell you that here. These are the author's notes"  
Xion: "the what"


	11. Riku Knows What Yu-Gi-Oh Is For Some Reason And Everyone Seems To Know Ventus

“I’m telling you, he’s in the Organization,” Donald said.

“Donald,” Sora said. “I appreciate your concern, but I really don’t think he is.”

“Why not?” Goofy asked.

“Well,” Sora said. “Let’s look at the members we’ve met. That guy at that castle was trying to get us into some sort of trap. Axel and Xigbar seemed more interested in not being anywhere near me, but it’s possible that one or both of them were thinking of Roxas and Xion’s safety, considering. And Roxas himself?”

Sora thought of Roxas’ blatant curiosity about hearts, about the strange familiarity neither of them could place.

“I dunno,” Sora said finally. “Anyways, none of them really act like Xemnas.”

“Besides wearing the same coat, telling you to go places, and knowing about or otherwise being Nobodies,” Donald said.

“It’s fine,” Sora said. “Xemnas is nice.”

“Axel seemed nice, until he threatened you.”

“He’s worried about his friends, is all.”

“Sora, you are  _ way _ too forgiving about this sort of thing.”

~*~*~*~

The floor was laid out differently than he remembered it. He had already checked this floor, even drawing a map using some paper and crayons he’d found on the top level. He didn’t understand. How was the layout different? Why couldn’t the building do this to get rid of the stairs? Unless it was trying to be  _ more _ inconvenient, which Roxas really hoped it wasn’t.

He rounded a corner, and found three other people.

“So we’re not going to have to deal with any more stairs or ledges until we’re heading to the next floor?” One of them asked another as he set her in a wheelchair. He seemed familiar, too, but not to the degree Sora had.

“We shouldn’t,” She said, settling. “Not unless someone’s using cards.”

The other two blinked.

“Okay,” The first said. “Let’s ignore the fact that this is apparently Yu-Gi-Oh Castle and move on.”

Roxas didn’t understand why these people were talking like they were on the second floor. Was this the second floor? He hadn’t been on the second floor. Was the second floor laid out like this?

The three turned, and saw him.

“Hi,” The girl in the chair said brightly. “I’m Namine. What’s your name?”

The third person, who was also a mouse, was staring at him with wide eyes.

“Why is he looking at me like that?” Roxas asked. “Do I know him? I don’t think I know him.”

Namine and the familiar boy looked at the mouse man.

“Mickey,” The boy said. “ _ Do _ you know him?”

‘Mickey’ shook his head, presumably to clear it. “Sorry,” He said. “It’s just… He looks like somebody.”

“Ventus, right?” Roxas asked.

“ _ You _ know him?” ‘Mickey’ asked, approaching Roxas rather quickly.

Roxas moved back a bit, on instinct. “I…” He said, thinking of the strange dream. “I know  _ of _ him. I look like him, apparently.”

“It’s uncanny,” Mickey said.

“I feel like we forgot introductions,” Namine said.

“Oh,” Roxas said. “Sorry. I’m Roxas.”

“Namine, are you sure--” The familiar boy said.

“Riku,” Namine said. “There are a few things you might be about to ask, but I think you should let me handle this.”

“Do you know why he looks like this Ventus person?” ‘Riku’ asked.

“Nope!” She said cheerfully. “But, I think I know why I’m blonde now.”

“Hey,” Roxas said. “What?”

~*~*~*~

“Riku?” Peter Pan said. “Yeah, he was looking for you, with some other people!”

“Yeah?” Sora said, excitedly. “Is he still here?”

“Nope,” Peter said. “Not sure where he went, either. Hey, maybe if you stick around long enough, he’ll come back!”

Sora sighed. “It should  _ not _ be this hard to find my best friend and a talking mouse.”

Donald and Goofy patted his shoulders sympathetically.

“Is that a no?” Peter asked.

“I’m afraid so,” Sora said. “Sorry, Peter, but I really gotta find Riku.”

“Hm,” Peter said. “I don’t get it.”

“He’s my friend,” Sora said. “I  _ have _ to find him.”

“Okay,” Peter said, with no additional comprehension.

~*~*~*~

“That’s a lot,” Roxas said. “So, you’re saying you  _ know _ the person I was before I was a Nobody?”

“I do, yeah,” Riku said. He seemed rather downcast, which Roxas supposed made sense. He must have missed his friend a lot.

“And I knew Ventus,” Mickey said.

“What were they like?” Roxas asked.

Riku and Mickey looked at each other.

“You go first,” Riku said. “I need some time.”

“Right,” Mickey said. “Ven was a good friend of mine. He was excitable, quick to feel, and mostly able to roll with the punches.”

Roxas nodded.

“But his heart was split in half, and weakened as a result. It was a miracle he survived.” Mickey looked somber as he continued to speak. “Eventually, it became connected to a very powerful keyblade. In order to keep it from being used for evil, he…”

“He allowed it to get damaged again, didn’t he,” Roxas said.

“I’m not sure exactly what happened,” Mickey said. “Not even Aqua knew what happened inside his heart to leave him in that state.”

“Aqua…” Roxas muttered, thinking of the armor in the Chamber of Repose.

“Hm?” Mickey said.

“Oh,” Roxas said. “I should probably show you something later.”

“Alright,” Mickey said.

“So, that’s about Ventus,” Roxas said, turning to Riku.

“Right,” Riku said. “Well, Sora’s--”

“Sora?” Roxas rolled up to Riku. “His name’s Sora?”

“Uh,” Riku said.

“Give him some space,” Namine said. “Please.”

“Oh, right.” Roxas rolled back. “Sorry.”

“He’s-- I guess, a lot like Ventus, personality-wise,” Riku said. “I really don’t want to talk about him in the past tense, I hope I’m wrong about what this all means, really.”

Roxas shifted uneasily.

“He came to find me and our friend Kairi when… we were all forced to leave home,” Riku continued. “But… her heart had ended up inside of his, so he gave it up to bring her back.”

Roxas looked down at his own chest.

“She brought him back,” Namine said. “When she was awake, and she found his Heartless, she brought him back.”

“How?” Roxas asked. “I thought it didn’t work like that.”

“Usually, it doesn’t,” Mickey said. “But Kairi is what we call a Princess of Heart.”

“When Sora released his and Kairi’s hearts,” Namine said, “Kairi’s heart returned to her body, like he’d hoped.”

“But then I was made?” Roxas asked.

Namine shrugged. “I think so? He’s fine, if that’s when you happened, so Riku can stop worrying. But that wasn’t all. I was made, too. Kairi’s Nobody, from Sora’s body.”

“And then also me,” Roxas said. “Sora’s Nobody, also from Sora’s body.”

They looked at each other critically.

“I guess that makes us related,” Namine said.

“We  _ are _ both blond,” Roxas said.

“I think that’s the Ventus,” Namine said seriously.

The two of them burst out laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Namine: "whats yu-gi-oh"  
Riku: "atem wouldnt treat me like this"
> 
> Roxas: "why do we have all this exposition"  
Namine: "just making sure we all have how this works down really"  
Roxas: "so should we do some more"  
Namine: "absolutely not"


	12. Santa Claus Is The Only Acceptable Home Intruder And Kairi Wins A Free Vacation At Participating Evil Castles

“Sorry,” Jack Skellington said. “No sign of your friends, as far as I’ve heard. They’re lucky to have people like you three looking for them, though. I’m sure you’ll find them.”

“Thanks, Jack,” Sora said.

“I wish there was more I could do to help,” Jack said. Then, he got an idea. “Oh, I know, why don’t we go to Christmas Town?”

“Christmas Town?” Sora asked, eyes wide. “Like, with Santa?”

“Yes!” Jack said excitedly. “Sandy Claws might know where your friend is!”

“Donald! Goofy!” Sora rolled over to them, and began to loop in a figure eight. “Jack’s gonna take us to see Santa!”

“Santa?” Donald asked, sceptically.

“Santa!” Sora said again. “He might know where Riku is, and he’s  _ Santa _ !”

“Someone’s excited,” Goofy said.

“Let’s go!” Sora exclaimed.

~*~*~*~

“Hm…” Santa said. “Riku… Riku…”

Sora sat, anxiously.

There was a loud explosion from the nearby workshop. Santa set down his list and picked up his glock.

“Why does Santa have a gun?” Donald asked.

Santa did not respond, merely rushing into the workshop. “Get out of here you troublemaker!” He yelled as he ran.

Jack, Sora, Donald, and Goofy, followed behind him.

“Sheesh,” The stranger in the black coat said. “Forgive a guy for tripping, will you? Just wanted to see what was in store for me and mine.”

“With behavior like that?” Santa asked. “Nothing but coal!”

“Ooo, coal,” The man said. “Wonder if they use that in synthesis.”

“They don’t,” Sora said.

“Oh, well, that’s no fun.” He began to wander lazily, almost dancing, strumming the instrument in his hands absently. “Can’t a guy do his job without getting on the naughty list?”

“Are adults even on the lists?” Sora asked Santa.

Santa aimed at the strange man. Donald and Goofy looked at each other, still not quite believing that Santa had a  _ glock _ .

“Ugh, fine!” The man said. “The boss wants me to look for some kid, so I thought I’d check with the guy who visits them all and save myself some trouble, happy?”

“What’s your boss want with a kid?” Sora asked, summoning his keyblade.

“Look, I don’t know.” The man said. “It’s not my job to ask that, and if I don’t have to do something, I’m not gonna.”

“Get out of my workshop!” Santa demanded.

“Fine, fine,” The man whined. “Whatever. I’m gonna go  _ ditch work _ now. Be a bad influence to kids everywhere.”

He left, then, through another one of those dark pillars.

“That guy was definitely in Organization XIII,” Donald said.

“You say that about everyone we meet in a black coat,” Sora said.

“And when have I been wrong?” Donald asked.

“Enough,” Santa said. “Fighting between friends is Not Nice.”

Sora covered his mouth.

“Now,” Santa said. “Let me see if I can find where Riku is.”

~*~*~*~

“So, you’re Kairi, huh?”

Kairi turned. “Who are you?”

“Call me a friend of a friend,” Axel said. “Although…”

Kairi took a step back, the ocean lapping at her ankles. “Although?”

Axel extended a hand. “You could call me plenty of other things, too.”

He took a step forward.

“Like your best chance of seeing Sora again for a long, long time.”

Kairi turned and bolted, running up the beach.

The darkness opened up in front of her, and she skidded to a halt. Axel stepped out. “Be reasonable,” He said. “Don’t you  _ want _ to see him?”

“You’re lying to me,” Kairi spat.

“Me?” Axel said. “Never.”

She tried to back up, but he caught her arm.

“I’m sure he’ll come to get you, once we’re ready for him to.”

“Let go of me!” Kairi socked Axel in the stomach.

He coughed, catching his breath. “No can do, I’m afraid,” He wheezed, allowing some remorse to tinge his voice. “I’ve got my orders, just like everyone else, and there’s no way out of this one.”

The darkness swallowed them up, and the beach was empty.

~*~*~*~

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Riku whispered to Mickey. They and Namine were following Roxas through the castle, towards a destination he hadn’t really explained.

“Do you have a better one?” Mickey whispered back. “It’s not like we can sit around doing nothing.”

“I still don’t like this,” Riku said.

Further conversation between the two of them cut off as Roxas stopped in front of a door, pushing it open.

“What’s this room?” Namine asked as Roxas led them inside.

“The Chamber of Repose,” Roxas said. “Xigbar said that the armor in here belonged to someone named Aqua, that Lord Xemnas used to know.”

“‘Lord Xemnas’?” Riku muttered, somewhat uncomfortable with how casually Sora’s Nobody called anyone ‘Lord’ anything.

Roxas nodded. “Here.” He led them around the throne, to where the armor was.

“That’s Aqua’s armor, alright,” Mickey said. “How did Xemnas get it?”

“Like I said before,” Roxas said. “Xigbar said Lord Xemnas knew her. That’s all I know.”

“I didn’t know anyone named anything like Xemnas when I knew Aqua,” Mickey said. “Are you sure Xigbar’s right?”

Roxas shrugged. “He’s number two,” He said. “That means he’s been in on this whole thing longer than anyone else, except…”   
  


“Except Xemnas, right,” Mickey said.

“Are you sure you didn’t meet him?” Roxas asked. “It might have been his original self, oh, what would his name have been…”

“Roxas,” Namine said. “You said someone told you that you looked like Ventus, right? Was it Xemnas who said that?”

Roxas shifted uneasily. “Lord Xemnas was the one who told me about Ventus and ordered me to find the Chamber of Waking, yeah.”

“What else did he say?” Mickey asked, very seriously.

“He told me to wake him up,” Roxas said. “He seemed to think I could, and he said if I did, I’d be a keyblade master, like he used to be before he was a Nobody.”

Mickey gasped. “Of course,” He said. “Xehanort.”

“Who?” Everyone asked.

“Roxas,” Mickey said. “If we  _ do _ find Ventus, you can’t let Xemnas near him. It’s not safe.”

“What?” Roxas asked. “I can’t just do that!”

“You could,” Riku said. “If you came with us. Brought him.”

Roxas looked at Riku like he’d just suggested blowing up the moon.

“Roxas,” Namine said. “The Organization… It’s not good. It may have some good people, and some of the bad ones may have some good qualities, but… It’s not good, Roxas. Xemnas… I don’t know what he’s told you, or anyone else, but the Organization isn’t going to help you.”

“He said he’d get us hearts,” Roxas said, very quietly.

“And what does that mean?” Namine asked. “What does that do?”

“Namine,” Mickey said.

“I don’t know,” Roxas said. “Axel said I’d understand when I had a heart. That I don’t know what I’m missing.”

“If you don’t know what you’re missing, are you missing anything at all?” Namine’s voice was serious, but gentle. “If you don’t understand why you need a heart, do you really need one?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the evil castles have been bought up by the same guy. It's a monopoly. If only there was someone looking to break the Organization's stranglehold on the evil castle market. *shoves Maleficent and Pete into a closet* If only we h


	13. Reality Can Be Deceiving But At Least It Comes With Candy

“You can’t tell?”

Santa shook his head. “Unfortunately, he’s not anywhere that properly exists. I can’t find him.”

“What does that even mean?” Sora groaned.

“There are many places that do not properly exist,” Santa said. “Unfortunately, I can’t reach any of them. I’m only Santa Claus, you know.”

“But what about all the good children?” Sora asked. “Are there any good children in those places? Besides Riku, I mean.”

Santa checked his list. “Yes,” He said. “But I can’t reach them. I can only go to real places.”

Sora sighed. “Thanks for trying, Santa.”

“I only wish I could do more,” Santa said. “Wait, oh! What’s this?” He reached behind Sora’s ear and pulled out a candy cane. “Look what I found.”

Sora took the candy cane, and smiled weakly. “Thanks again, Santa.”

“Of course,” Santa said.

He chuckled to himself as the group left, Sora discreetly checking behind his ears for more candy canes.

~*~*~*~

Jack went ahead of them back to Halloween Town, but Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked around Christmas Town a bit longer.

It was as they reached the ring of doors, leading to all the towns, that they encountered Xemnas again. Donald and Goofy were reasonably suspicious of this man.

“Hi,” Sora said.

“You seem upset,” Xemnas said. “What troubles you?”

“Santa said Riku’s somewhere that isn’t real,” Sora said. “What does that even mean?”

“There are many such places,” Xemnas said. “All of them are very different from each other.”

“Have you been to them?” Sora asked.

“Some of them,” Xemnas said. “So have you. Twilight Town is such a place.”

“Twilight Town… isn’t real?”

“There is more to it than that,” Xemnas said. “In a sense, it exists, despite all evidence that it should be impossible.”

“I don’t get it,” Sora said.

“Everything should exist within either the Realm of Light or the Realm of Darkness,” Xemnas said. “But it does not. Places like Twilight Town, or The World That Never Was, or the Sleeping Realm… break the rules. They cannot exist, but they do.”

“So… Nobodies are only born in places that don’t exist?” Sora asked.

“Yes,” Xemnas said. “And not even all of those, but that’s neither here nor there.”

“Alright,” Sora said.

He was quiet for a while. Xemnas began to leave, but Sora rolled up to him and grabbed his sleeve.

“Xemnas?”

“Hm?”

“Is Riku going to be alright?”

Xemnas hesitated. Carefully, he reached down and ruffled Sora’s hair. “Of course he is. He’s got you to get back to.”

~*~*~*~

“What do you people want from me?” Kairi demanded.

“The Superior requested that you be brought here for ‘safe keeping’,” Vexen said. “And I’ve always wondered about the qualities that make a Princess of Heart.”

“What are you going to do to me?”

Vexen held out a small device. It had a screen on it, inactive, and what looked to be solar sensors. “Take this,” He said.

“No,” Kairi said.

“Must you be difficult?” Vexen huffed. “I swear, you’re worse than Namine.”

“Who’s Namine?” Kairi asked.

“I’ll tell you if you take this,” Vexen said, waving the device slightly.

Kairi glared at him. Still, though, she snatched the device from his hand.

“Wonderful,” He said. “Show me the screen.”

Kairi held it up, still glaring. The screen had lit up completely yellow. “Who’s Namine?”

“Wow, your heart really is entirely light,” Vexen muttered. “Very well, it wouldn’t do to go back on my word. Namine, Kairi, is  _ your _ Nobody.”

Kairi’s glare did not soften. “Tell me about her.”

“Well, if you want me to do that…”

~*~*~*~

“I don’t believe it, we actually found him,” Mickey said, rushing to Ventus’ side. “Ven? Ventus?”

Roxas rolled up on the other side. Ventus really  _ did _ look exactly how he had in that strange dream, down to his outfit. Curiously, he reached out and poked the other boy’s face. No response.

“I don’t get it,” Roxas muttered.

“Xemnas must expect you to unlock the Power of Waking,” Mickey said. “But that usually takes  _ years _ of training.”

“You don’t even have a year of existing,” Riku said.

“Well,” Roxas said. “What about you?”

“I don’t have his heart,” Mickey said. “And any way I’d have to get it from you could really hurt you.”

“Same here, plus the fact that I haven’t been in this game long enough,” Riku said. “And my possession of the keyblade has been… bumpy.”

“Oh, like Xion,” Roxas said. “She lost it for a while, too. And… I might, when I wake Ventus up.”

“Don’t worry, kiddo.” Xigbar leaned against the doorframe. “It’s not that important. I mean, I’ve done just fine without one since before your original was born.”

Roxas yelped. “You’re still here?”

Xigbar laughed and walked into the room. “Don’t worry,” He said. “I’m not any more interested in letting Xemnas near Ventus than you are.”

Riku dug in the bag he had, where he kept all his traveling worldly goods, as Xigbar spoke.

“Don’t get me wrong, I walked right into this,” Xigbar said. “But that doesn’t mean I want Ven involved.”

Mickey summoned his own keyblade, stepping forward.

Xigbar laughed again. “Oh, you all are just too much.”

“Let’s go,” Riku said. He’d put the black coat DiZ had given him on Ventus, and had the other boy’s body over his shoulder.

Mickey opened a dark corridor, and Riku and Namine went through it without hesitation. “Coming, Roxas?” He asked.

“I wouldn’t recommend that, kiddo,” Xigbar said. “You know what happens to traitors.”

Roxas’ hands shook as he looked between the dark corridor and Xigbar.

“That’s right,” Xigbar said. “Come here, kiddo. I’ll explain everything to Xemnas, and you won’t get in a lick of trouble.”

“Don’t listen to him, Roxas,” Mickey said.

“No, listen to me,” Xigbar said. “He only wants you to go with him because of Ventus’ heart. He doesn’t care about you.”

“Neither do you,” Roxas said.

“Well, now,” Xigbar said. “Let’s not jump to conclusions, shall we?”

“How could you care?” Roxas asked. “You don’t have a heart to care with!”

“I’ll explain everything,” Xigbar said. “Anything and everything you could want to know, if you come here.”

“He’s lying,” Mickey said. “Roxas, I want to help you.”

“Roxas,” Xigbar said. He knelt, still looking at Roxas. “Look at me.”

Roxas whirled, fleeing through the corridor. Mickey was close behind him, and then it was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Xigbar forgot one of the most important rules of talking to someone in a wheelchair and paid the price of losing the argument.


	14. Saix Isn't Paid Enough To Deal With This Band Of Hooligans (Part 3) ft. Roxas' Lack Of Respect For Any Of These People

“I’m glad you decided to come with us,” Riku said.

“How did you decide I was the one telling the truth?” Mickey asked.

“I didn’t,” Roxas said. “In fact, I think you were both lying.”

“Then why?” Riku asked.

“He knelt down to talk to me,” Roxas said. “I’ve told him, I don’t like it when he does that.”

Namine nodded.

“I’ll stay with you,” Roxas said. “For the time being, anyways. It’s not like I have anywhere else to go.”

“We’re happy to have you,” Riku said.

Roxas’ eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say anything.

“So,” Namine said. “Where to next?”

“Agrabah,” Riku said.

“No,” Roxas said. “I’ve been there. They’ll look for me there.”

Riku nodded. “Wonderland?”

“Same issue.”

“Twilight Town?”

“You know,” Roxas said. “At that point, we might as well head straight to The Castle That Never Was and save the Organization the trouble of hunting me down before they kill me.”

“Why don’t  _ you _ pick the world then?” Riku asked.

“Anywhere I know to think of is somewhere they’d check.”

“Let’s head back to Master Yen Sid,” Mickey said. “He might know what to do.”

“That tower has almost as many stairs as Castle Oblivion on it’s own,” Namine groaned.

“Well, unless you’ve got a better idea, that’s where we’re going,” Riku said. “Assuming he explains anything he says, we might get some good advice there.”

~*~*~*~

“Ah, Xigbar, there you are,” Saix said. “The superior has new orders--”

“Where is he?” Xigbar said coldly. “I need to speak with him.”

“Somewhere,” Saix said. “You know how he is as well as I do.”

Xigbar took a moment to actually look at Saix. He looked exhausted. He’d probably been running the Organization practically singlehandedly for months, while Xemnas stared at Kingdom Hearts growing in the sky, or desperately attempted to be a father, or whatever else he’d filled his time with.

“In any case--” Saix said.

“Get some rest,” Xigbar said.

Saix glared. “Lord Xemnas wants us searching for the boy Riku while we’re doing our missions. Speaking of missions, you have not--”

“Saix,” Xigbar said. “Roxas has left the Organization.”

Saix paused. “That seems out of character.”

“The little king, the witch, and Riku convinced him to follow when they escaped Castle Oblivion with the contents of the Chamber of Waking,” Xigbar said. “It might be possible to convince him to return, but I doubt it.”

“He  _ is _ stubborn,” Saix sighed. “I think he gets it from Axel.”

“Axel. If anyone could bring Roxas back, it’s Axel,” Xigbar said. “Xion would more likely go with him.”

“I’ll… talk to Axel when he gets back,” Saix said. “In the meantime, I’ll have to alert anyone who’s here to the situation.”

“Write a note and go to bed,” Xigbar said. “You’ll do no one any good if you burn yourself out.”

“There’s so much to do,” Saix muttered, turning to leave. “There’s no time, I can’t--”

Xigbar raised a hand, pointing it towards Saix’s retreating form. The other Nobody collapsed.

Xigbar walked over to him and picked him up. “Kids these days,” He said to himself. “They just don’t know how to listen.”

~*~*~*~

Zexion had specifically waited for a time when Vexen had stepped out to enter the room where Kairi was being kept. He wondered, might his actions be considered traitorous? He shook his head; it wasn’t like he was intending to release her.

“Who are  _ you _ ?” She said as he approached. There was a tired venom in her voice, and for a moment Zexion thought he might be wrong.

“I am Zexion,” He said. “But, I wasn’t always.”

“Are you going to hit me with a tragic backstory to make me more cooperative?” Kairi asked. “Because, traumatic childhood or no, you’ve got no excuse to be ruining mine so thoroughly.”

“That… wasn’t my intention. None of that.” Zexion moved some of Vexen’s equipment from the nearby stool to the floor, and sat. “I just--”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Kairi said. “I’m sure you seem perfectly justified on your end, but I can’t see it, and I doubt I ever will.”

“I’m not trying to convince you of anything,” Zexion said. “It’s simply that I knew a Kairi when I was Ienzo, and I wanted to know if you were her.”

“If I am, that was before I ended up on the Destiny Islands,” Kairi said. “I don’t remember too much of my life before.”

“I see,” Zexion said.

There was a silence.

“Was that all?” Kairi asked.

“I could tell you about her,” Zexion said softly.

Kairi’s expression softened. Not a lot, but a little. “You miss her,” She said.

“She was practically a cousin to Ienzo,” Zexion said. “Her grandmother worked in the building where he grew up, although I couldn’t tell you her job, and she tagged along a lot.”

“What building?”

Zexion shook his head. “It has since fallen to darkness.”

“Oh.”

“Kairi was five when I was nine,” Zexion said. “But she was really the only other kid I knew, for so long, until Isa and Lea were able to get themselves apprenticed.”

“Zexion,” Kairi said. “How old were you when you became a Nobody?”

“Eleven,” Zexion said. “I’ve counted the years, and grown. Axel and Saix did, too, but less so. None of the others seem to have aged a day.”

“That’s… fascinating,” Kairi said. The glare was gone, replaced by a curious, yet still suspicious, expression.

Zexion nodded. “Vexen and I think it likely that, since Nobodies do not properly exist, our aging is highly psychological.”

Kairi nodded, slowly.

The door to the room opened. “Zexion!” Vexen said. “What are you doing?”

Zexion stiffened. “Guarding?” He suggested.

“That’s not your job, and you know it,” Vexen said. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

“Not until four.”

Vexen’s eyes narrowed. “I knew cartoons were a bad idea,” He muttered. At a more normal tone and volume, he said, “Go on, leave me to my work. I have more to do.”

Zexion left.

“Now,” Vexen said. “Where were we?”

“You were gonna tell me why Namine’s blonde,” Kairi said. “As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I am significantly not blonde.”

“That’s true,” Vexen said. “You aren’t.”

“Truly scintillating dialogue, you people provide, by the way,” Kairi said. “Really makes this whole situation worthwhile.”

Vexen blinked. “Is that… sarcasm?”

“Little bit.”

“I see, I see.” Vexen picked up some of his notes and wrote something on them.

“It is never going to be not weird when you do that,” Kairi said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *checks math* Wait a second. Zexion's nineteen here. He's been in a gang since he was in elementary school. Who do we blame for that?
> 
> *Another version of me but in a different coat holds up a sign reading "Xigbar"*
> 
> Works for me


	15. Xigbar Tempts Dramatic Irony While Everyone Else Is Just Dramatic

“Wow,” Roxas said, looking at the amount of stairs leading up the tower. “This could not be more obnoxious if it was trying.”

“And we’re heading all the way up,” Namine agreed.

“How high up is all the way up?”

“I think it changes,” Mickey said.

“That’s somehow even worse,” Roxas said.

“So,” Riku said. “We’ve got three people who would need carrying, two wheelchairs that would also need carrying, and two people to do any of that carrying. How are we working this?”

“I was thinking I’d teleport,” Roxas said. “I mean, it’s not like I learned for no reason.”

“Using dark corridors  _ inside _ the tower is… a bad idea,” Mickey said. “That’s why we didn’t just go to the top that way from the start.”

“Cool,” Roxas said, opening a dark corridor. “Coming, Namine?”

“You first,” She said.

“Understandable.” Roxas went through the corridor.

Immediately, he was hit full in the face and knocked out of his chair by a big blast of magic.

“Fuck!” He yelled.

“Who are you?” The man in front of him might have even been older than Xigbar, to Roxas’ surprise. He had thought Xigbar was the oldest person in the universe, and yet here was someone with longer, duller, greyer hair. No eyepatch, though. “What business do you have here, and why have you taken Ventus’ form?”

Roxas glanced between the old man, the stairs, and the dark corridor. “Ventus’ form is downstairs,” He said, confused.

“What?” The old man said.

Namine cautiously came through the dark corridor. “Mister Yen Sid!” She said.

“Namine,” ‘Mister Yen Sid’ said. He sounded a little less angry, but he did not look it. “What’s going on?”

Riku and Mickey appeared in the stairwell, out of breath, Ventus over Riku’s shoulder.

“What is the meaning of this, you three?” ‘Mister Yen Sid’ sighed. “What is going on?”

“Master Yen Sid,” Mickey said. “Meet Roxas, Sora’s Nobody.”

“You know this just gives me more questions about your conduct,” ‘Yen Sid’ said.

“I know,” Mickey said. “Let me explain.”

~*~*~*~

“He what?” Axel said.

“He left,” Xigbar repeated. “I attempted to reason with him, but he was misled by King Mickey, Riku, and Namine. Shocking, right? Normally I’m luckier than that.”

“Riku and Namine? Back in Castle Oblivion?” Axel crossed his arms. “Are you sure?”

“It seems that they returned to collect the contents of the Chamber of Waking.” Xigbar sat on the couch and leaned back. “Which they were, in fact, able to do.”

“Mm,” Axel said. “Oh, I would not be excited for when the boss finds out you lost two identical looking children to a  _ mouse _ .”

“Oh, I’m not, believe me,” Xigbar said. “Still, I’d rather be the one to tell him. Having him find out from someone else would be even worse.”

  
  


~*~*~*~

“Hey, boss! There you are!” Larxene said brightly.

“You’re not normally this interested in talking to me,” Xemnas said. “Who are you getting in trouble this time?”

“Xigbar and Roxas,” She said. “Oh, I’m not sure which of them you’re going to be more mad at.”

Xemnas sighed heavily. “What happened?”

~*~*~*~

“Riku?” One of the kids in Twilight Town said. “I don’t know. What’s he look like?”

“Uh,” Sora said. “Well, he’s got light, kinda blue back length hair, and he’s our age, and I’m pretty sure he’s allergic to sleeves.”

“Hm,” The kid said. “Oh, yeah! I saw him a couple of days ago, up by the station! He was with a mousy looking man, and a blonde girl, and oh, what’s her name…?”

“Someone else?” Donald muttered.

“Yeah, yeah,” The kid said. “Hey, Olette! That dark haired girl in the wheelchair that shows up around town sometimes! What’s her name?”

Another kid looked away from where she had been marking something out on the ground. “Xion, I think!” She called. “Why?”

“Those people we saw her with the other day, these guys know them!”

“Oh, cool!”

“Anyways,” Sora said. “Riku’s been missing for a while, and I was wondering if you knew where he went.”

“Hm,” the kid said. “I don’t make it a habit to eavesdrop, but I’m pretty sure they were talking about some of Xion’s friends. He might be with some of them?”

“Hm,” Sora said. “Maybe. How can I find them, though?”

“Wait around town,” The kid said. “If you see someone in a black trenchcoat, that’s probably who you’re looking for.”

Sora, Donald, and Goofy blanched.

“Organization XIII?” Goofy asked.

“Maybe there’s another group that also wears the black coats,” Sora said. “Like Xemnas.”

“No, I’m pretty sure he’s--”

“This isn’t the time, Donald.”

“I don’t know about any Organization,” The kid said. “I’m Pence, by the way.”

“I’m Sora.”

“I’m Donald.”

“And I’m Goofy!”

“Cool,” Pence said. “Anyways, I think your best bet is to find Xion or one of her friends. They’ll probably have a better idea of where your friends are than I will.”

“Thanks,” Sora said.

~*~*~*~

“He’s really gone?” Xion asked.

“He left, yeah,” Axel said.

Xion looked down over the town and sighed.

“Hey, don’t worry.” Axel ruffled her hair. “Soon as the boss knows where to send me, I’ll bring him back, and everything will go back to normal.”

“Are you sure?” Xion asked.

“Of course,” Axel said. “I said before, didn’t I? He’ll be back.”

Xion nodded slowly. Was it Axel’s imagination, or did her breathing seem shallower? Her hand was on her chest, almost absentmindedly.

“I promise,” Axel said. “Us three, we’re inseparable, remember? I’m always gonna bring you two back.”

Xion gave him a wan smile. “I think I’m gonna RTC now,” She said. “See you later.”

“See you,” Axel said.

Xion left, and Axel looked out across the town. Below him, people were living everyday lives, feeling everyday feelings. Nothing had changed for them.

“Yeah,” He said. “You’ll be back, won’t you Roxas?”

He stood, the softness he’d had before falling away until all that was left on the clock tower was Organization XIII’s Number VIII, the Assassin who led the other Assassins, the flurry of dancing flames.

“After all, it’s not like you have any other choice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy some complementary vague spoilers about something Roxas is gonna do in the far future: https://starburstdragon.tumblr.com/post/188136037691/i-havent-gotten-to-the-part-where-we-see-roxas
> 
> Or don't. The choice is yours, really.
> 
> Pence is in this chapter! So is Olette, to a lesser degree. Hayner's probably there but he didn't come up at all.


	16. Two Dads Walk Into A Bar

“I see,” Yen Sid said. “A reasonable choice, considering the options and information available to you.”

“Thanks,” Riku said.

“Is there something important we’re missing?” Mickey asked.

“Yes,” Yen Sid said.

“Great,” Roxas muttered.

“The recusant’s sigil,” Yen Sid said.

Everyone waited for a moment, hoping he’d continue to explain.

“Certain individuals have the ability to track the recusant’s sigil,” Yen Sid explained. “Xehanort was one such person, so it is likely that Xemnas is as well. And Roxas has been marked with it, to his very core.”

“I don’t like that,” Roxas said. “How do I stop?”

“It’s in your name,” Yen Sid said.

“Oh,” Roxas said. “That’s not good. I mean, technically, I could change my name, but in practice? I’m somewhat attached to it. It’s mine.”

“So,” Riku said. “We want to wander around vaguely until we know what to do about that?”

“I would recommend, at least, being in a separate place than Ventus for the time being,” Yen Sid said.

“Ah,” Roxas said. “This is about Ventus again.”

“I was never going to pretend it wasn’t,” Yen Sid said.

“Cool,” Roxas said. “Let’s go, then.” He summoned a dark corridor and rolled towards it.

“Right,” Riku said. “Before I forget. Master Yen Sid, can you  _ please _ get an elevator? For Sora’s sake, if for no one else’s?”

Master Yen Sid did not answer.

~*~*~*~

“No, see,” Kairi said. “It’s rude to cut in line in front of someone, but it’s even more rude to be in line and not going anywhere when the people in front of you  _ are _ .”

Zexion nodded. He was taking notes.

“So, if someone does that, it is the responsibility of the person behind them to get them moving again, or, failing that, lead the line around them to ensure that the maximum amount of people get through.”

“Oh,” Zexion said. “I think back in the Radiant Garden the general rule was just to wait.”

“There is merit to that,” Kairi said. “But some people can only stand for so long.”

“Mhm,” Zexion agreed. “I understand.”

Vexen opened the door and sighed. “Again, Zexion?”

“Yeah,” Zexion said.

“You’ll mess up all my data,” Vexen said. “Shoo!”

“Oh,” Kairi said. “I didn’t realize that your data was so reliant on me being in an unnaturally isolated state. I’ll try and be more considerate next time.”

Zexion failed to completely suppress a laugh.

“Shouldn’t you be out searching, boy?” Vexen asked venomously.

“I’m only a few years younger than you, physically,” Zexion said.

“I  _ raised _ you,” Vexen said.

“And what a great job you did,” Zexion said. “I’d say I’m a model member of the Organization. Roxas could take some pointers from me.”

“Out,” Vexen said. “And leave your notes with me.”

Zexion sighed, handed over his notepad, and left.

Vexen looked over it. “Useless,” He muttered. “Is this really what you two were discussing?”

Kairi shrugged. “Probably.”

Vexen tossed the notepad behind him. Not, Kairi noticed, into the trash, but into his own notes. Interesting.

“So,” Kairi said. “Did this Roxas fellow mess up something?”

“More than that,” Vexen said. “But the details are none of your concern.”

“Cool, cool,” Kairi said. “Hey, can I get a better mattress in here? Mine’s awful.”

“At least  _ you’ve _ got one,” Vexen said.

“Do you not?” Kairi asked.

“Enough talk,” Vexen said. “It’s time for business.”

“You should demand a mattress,” Kairi said. “Form a union.”

“Don’t utter such words in this place,” Vexen said.

~*~*~*~

Roxas looked up at the stars and sighed. They had left Ventus with Yen Sid, for better or for worse, and they were travelling for the sake of moving.

Nearby, Namine jolted awake. “Unionize!” She declared.

“What?” Roxas said.

“What?” She said. “What’d I say?”

“You know what?” Roxas said. “You were probably just having a weird dream.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Namine said.

They were silent for a while.

“Sometimes I have dreams about Kairi,” Namine said. “Most of them feel like memories, but some of them feel more present than that.”

“Maybe you were dreaming about what she’s doing right now?” Roxas suggested. “Although, I’m not quite sure what that means she’s doing.”

“What’d I even say?”

“‘Unionize’. Like, is that even a real word?”

“Yeah,” Namine said. “It’s all about workers power and the like. Real good stuff.”

“Cool,” Roxas said.

They were silent again, for a while longer.

“Roxas, are you still awake?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“What are we gonna do if the Organization shows up right now?”

“I dunno.”

~*~*~*~

Xemnas had not expected to find Sora, Donald, and Goofy set up in an out of the way corner of Twilight Town. He had chosen the spot to arrive in town  _ specifically _ because he hadn’t expected anyone to be there at that hour. He’d known some of the local children spent their days there, but…

At the very least, all three of them were sound asleep, but why there? Xemnas shook the train of thought from his mind and left, entering the town proper. Few establishments were open this late, their lights forming scattered beacons across the landscape. It was one such place that Xemnas had in mind, and he entered without breaking stride.

“You’re late,” Xigbar said.

“Bold words, coming from you,” Xemnas said, sitting next to him. “Larxene tells me that it’s your fault Roxas has left the nest.”

“I’m still blaming that rat,” Xigbar said.

Idly, Xemnas noticed the empty glass next to Xigbar’s half full one. “The king you speak of is a mouse,” He said. “Still, I suppose I understand the sentiment.”

“Whatever,” Xigbar muttered. “He took the kids. I’ll call him a rat.”

Several people, just tuning into the conversation, winced in sympathy.

“You seem to be taking this rather harshly,” Xemnas said. “Will you be able to make your way home tonight?”

“When haven’t I?” Xigbar said. “I’m good at keeping a clear head.”

Xemnas didn’t dignify that with a response, opting instead to order a smaller serving of something with a much higher alcohol content. It was also blue, not that that had affected his decision in any way.

“What, you don’t believe me?” Xigbar finished his drink, and waved for a third. “After all we’ve been through?”

“All we’ve been through includes me finding you face down in a ditch in Halloween Town with a hangover, you know,” Xemnas pointed out.

“You and your facts,” Xigbar said. He was going to say more, but he fell off his stool.

“He doesn’t know when to quit,” Xemnas said to the bartender calmly. “Please keep him on water for the rest of the night.”

“No liver on this man,” Muttered the bartender. “Should I even bother with beer next time he comes in?”

“I should be going soon,” Xemnas said to Xigbar. “I have another appointment.”

The man on the floor mumbled something genuinely incomprehensible.

Xemnas finished his drink and left. He made one more stop before returning to his point of entry into the town.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy still slept.

From under his arm, Xemnas pulled a blanket, freshly purchased, and laid it over Sora. The boy sighed contentedly, but did not otherwise stir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of us have to sit down, fellow queue-members. Some of us have ouch oof disorder.


	17. Kairi Tries To Unionize The Organization And Everyone Seems To Know Ventus

“Sora, where’d that blanket come from?” Donald asked.

“I’m not sure,” Sora said. “It’s warm, though.”

“Maybe Hayner, Pence, or Olette thought you might be cold,” Goofy said.

“Maybe,” Sora said. “But… What about you guys?”

“Aw, we’re fine,” Donald said. “We’ve got feathers and fur.”

“Goooooooood morning!” Hayner said, waltzing into the covered area. “How did everyone sleep?”

“Great,” Sora said. “Hey, whose blanket is this?”

Hayner looked at it, and shrugged. “Yours, I guess. Congratulations.”

“Cool,” Sora said. “Wonder how it got here.”

“Stuff happens,” Hayner said. “People only read into it if they’re bored.”

Olette rushed in. “I heard people saw two of the men in black last night,” She said, a little out of breath. “At the bar.”

“Wow,” Hayner said. “How does that help us?”

“Well,” She said. “I heard someone saying they thought they saw one of them passed out near the edge of town.”

“Let’s go get him!” Hayner said. “We’ll be right back, you guys. Tell Pence where we’re at!”

Hayner and Olette ran out.

~*~*~*~

“Okay,” Kairi said. “Hear me out.”

“I can’t open the door on that cell,” Zexion said.

“This isn’t about that,” Kairi said.

“Alright.”

“Form a union.”

“A union?” Zexion mused. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in one of those before. I’m not sure we’re allowed.”

“What would happen if you weren’t, and you did it anyways?” Kairi asked.

“We’d probably get turned into dusks,” Zexion said.

“Have you ever actually seen that happen to anyone?” Kairi said.

Zexion considered that. “No,” He said. “But I don’t want to be the person it happens to.”

“How do you know it’s even possible?”

Kairi sat politely while the man in front of her seemed to have an existential crisis. “Is it?” He muttered.

“So…”

“If it’s not, I’d be terminated, and everyone would be shown a random dusk and told that it’s me,” He decided. “And I’m not sure if that’s better.”

“Fair enough,” Kairi said. “You should probably go. I don’t know when Vexen’s getting back.”

“You’re right about that, at least,” Zexion sighed. “I’ll be back.”

“Bye,” Kairi said.

Zexion left.

“Okay,” Kairi whispered. “Kairi, your heart was in Sora’s heart, and he used the keyblade a bunch of times. This has a chance of working.”

She closed her eyes and extended a hand, breathing deeply. Something twinged, not  _ in _ her hand but just beyond it. Still, no weight settled there.

“I  _ can _ do this,” She said firmly. “And I will.”

~*~*~*~

“Axel,” Saix said.

“Saix,” Axel said. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“The Superior wishes you to go to Neverland. He has informed me that you will know what to retrieve from there.”

Axel grinned. “Naturally.”

~*~*~*~

“The sun’s so warm,” Namine said. “What is this place?”

“This is Neverland!” A voice said behind them. “The land where kids never grow up!”

They turned, to see Peter Pan floating there.

“Hi,” Riku said. “I’m gonna start off by apologizing for all the trouble that my first time was, again.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Peter said. “That was Hook’s fault, mostly, anyhow, and any friend of Sora’s is a friend of mine. Hey, speaking of Sora, he was here looking for you a while ago.”

Peter kept talking, and Riku was taking the full force of it.

“Braver than any soldier,” Namine whispered to Roxas, nodding at the scene before them. “Wanna go see what’s around?”

“Sure,” Roxas said.

The two of them were about to head off to look around when a bright light flew into Roxas’ face. Dust hit him as though it had been thrown, causing his eyes to water as he held back a sneeze.

Bells chimed angrily.

“What?” Peter turned and floated over and moved the light-- a fairy!-- out of Roxas’ face. “No way! Ventus! I almost didn’t recognize you! Did you get a tan?”

“Uh…” Roxas said intellectually.

“Peter,” Mickey said. “This isn’t Ventus.”

“Oh,” Peter said. “I didn’t know he had a brother. That’s cool! What’s your name?”

“I’m Roxas,” Roxas said, a bit dazed. “It’s nice to meet you?”

“Likewise! I’m Peter Pan!” Peter grabbed Roxas’ hand and shook it vigorously. “Wow, you’ve got a weak handshake.”

“Oh, cut him a break,” Came another voice.

Everyone turned.

“He’s a pretty ‘go with the flow’ type, you know?” Axel said casually. “Rolls with the punches, him.”

Riku and Mickey dropped into combat stances. Namine looked the situation over and gave everyone some space.

“Hi, Axel,” Roxas said, not really sure whether to feel excited or terrified. “It’s… been a bit.”

“Yeah,” Axel said. “Are you done with your journey of self actualization, or whatever? It’s time to go home.”

“You really think we’re going to make this  _ that _ easy?” Riku growled.

“Hey, hey,” Axel said. “This isn’t your decision. What are you going to do if he  _ wants _ to come back with me, keep him prisoner?”

Riku wavered, and Axel hit him with a burst of flame, sending him into the water. Tinkerbell followed him, ringing with a certain degree of distress.

“Riku!” Mickey and Namine cried out.

“What do you say, Roxas?” Axel said. “It’s up to you.”

Roxas sighed. “It really isn’t, is it?”

“No,” Axel admitted. “But I wish it was.”

“Roxas, don’t go with him,” Mickey said.

“Why not?” Axel asked. “What’s your appeal?”

“How are you going to restore Ventus’ heart if you’re with the Organization, Roxas?” Mickey asked.

“I…” Roxas said.

“Wow, is that all you’ve got going for you?” Axel laughed. “Just toss Ventus back at us, if it’s that big of a deal.  _ I’m _ his friend.”

“ _ I’m _ his sister,” Namine shot back.

Riku rose out of the water behind Axel, glittering as Tinkerbell flew circles around him. He raised his weapon, and--

“Stop,” Roxas said, exhaustion and resignation creeping into his voice. “All of you, please.”

“Roxas?” Mickey asked.

“Come to your senses?” Axel said.

Roxas sighed. “Yeah,” He said. He rolled over to Axel, giving everyone else an apologetic look. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I know the consequences of this. It won’t happen again.”

Axel ruffled Roxas’ hair. “Thank goodness. Let’s get going, alright? We might be able to catch up with Xion at the clock tower.”

“Right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roxas hadn't been to Neverland before this, by the way. I had a very specific point in the timeline picked out when I wrote this, but I forgot what it was. 10 points and a metaphorical pizza party to the house of anyone who's invested enough to try and work that out, I guess.


	18. Axel Would Definitely Be The Loose Cannon In A Buddy Cop Movie, But This Isn't One Of Those So He's Not, Really

“You’re back!” Xion said. “When Axel told me you’d left, I was afraid you weren’t coming back!”

The three of them were in Roxas’ room.

“I’m back,” Roxas said. “Lord Xemnas won’t let me leave the castle for the next two weeks, though.”

Xion sighed. “So, you still won’t be back on the clock tower.”

“No,” Roxas agreed.

“I’d say you got off easy,” Axel said. “I mean, running off like that? I’d’ve probably gotten terminated for that.”

“I guess they’re giving Roxas another chance because he was tricked,” Xion said. “I mean, that’s what Xigbar said happened.”

“Guess so,” Roxas said.

Xion’s breath caught, and her eyes widened.

“Xion?” Roxas asked. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” She said. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just give me a second.”

Her breathing returned to normal, and they were silent for a while.

“Sheesh,” Axel said. “It’s pretty late. We’re probably the last people up.”

“Is this you telling us it’s time to go to bed?” Xion asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Guess so,” Axel said. “There’s something else I’ve gotta take care of, but you kids should get some sleep.”

“Okay,” Roxas said.

“Goodnight,” Xion said.

Axel left the room.

“Oh, we’re definitely seeing what that’s about,” Xion said.

“No question about it,” Roxas said. “What’s he up to?”

The two followed.

~*~*~*~

“Oh, hey, Xemnas,” Sora said. “How are you?”

“Well enough,” Xemnas said, reaching out and ruffling Sora’s hair. “And yourself?”

Sora laughed. “I’m… mostly alright,” He said. “I still haven’t found Riku, but I’ve heard more about him.”

“That is fortunate.” Xemnas found a nearby bench and sat.

Sora followed him to it. “Yeah,” He said. “He’s with the king and someone else, apparently.”

“Someone else…?” Xemnas said. He was surprised that Sora hadn’t heard anything more specific.

“The Cheshire Cat called her a ‘princess of emptiness’, for some reason,” Sora said. “Among other things. But it’s always hard to tell what he’s really saying.”

“I suppose,” Xemnas said.

They were silent for a while. The air around them, cool and bearing the scent of twilight even at that hour, barely stirred.

“Where are  _ your _ companions, Sora?” Xemnas asked. “I find it hard to believe you would have lost them.”

“They’re scouting out some restaurants.” Sora shrugged. “We got pretty distracted today, so we’re not sure if anything’s still open.”

“Hm,” Xemnas said. “I see. Please give me a moment.”

Xemnas stood and walked away. About a minute later, he returned with a box, handing it to Sora.

Sora opened the box, to find a lot of food in it. “Xemnas, where did you get this?”

“That’s not important,” Xemnas said. “There’s something I have to go take care of. Eat up, it’s good for you.”

This time, when Xemnas left, he did not return.

~*~*~*~

Kairi awoke to the sound of someone opening the door. She looked up, seeing Axel’s neutral expression.

“You?” She asked, somewhat disappointed and more than a little bit hostile.

“Me,” Axel said. “I wanted to apologize. For real, this time.”

“The only apology I will accept is freedom,” Kairi said.

Axel allowed himself a mirthless chuckle. “Yeah, I half expected you to say something like that,” He said. “I can’t do that, you know. If I could, I never would have brought you here in the first place.”

“Blame someone else for it, then,” Kairi said.

“Tempting,” Axel allowed. “Still, it probably wouldn’t work. Saix can tell when I’m lying a mile away and an hour before.”

“Hm,” Kairi said. “Unfortunate.”

“Isn’t it, though?” Axel said. “Nevertheless; I am extending a formal apology, for the nothing that it’s worth. Should you escape, I cannot promise any intentional incompetence on my part in your recapture, or anything else I may be assigned to do.”

“Blunt.”

“My hands are tied, alright?” Axel said. “It’s not like I can just leave, you know. Someone would have to come after me, and that’d just end in people getting terminated, one way or another.”

Kairi raised an eyebrow. “So, is this your way of being charitable?”

Axel blinked. “Wh-- What?”

“‘People’, you said,” Kairi said. “Not ‘someone’. You’re sure that multiple people would be ‘terminated’ if you were to leave.”

“Well,” Axel said. “See, usually, that’s my job, to go after anyone who betrays us, for any reason. But obviously, if I were the traitor, someone else would have to do it. Maybe someone a little less prepared.”

“And you’d kill them.”

“Easy, it’s not like I’m jumping at the idea.” Axel leaned against her cell. “I mean, seriously, only person I can think of who would is Larxene, and I work with people like, well…”

“Larxene?”

“Okay, you know what--”

~*~*~*~

Kairi supposed it had been a little foolish of her to expect some quiet after Axel’s visit, but she was still a little less than thrilled at the door opening again so quickly after his exit.

“Who now?” She groaned.

“Sorry,” A boy’s voice said. “Is this a bad time?”

“Unless you’re about to let me out, yeah.”

There was a pause.

“Roxas,” A girl’s voice said. “Don’t do this, you’re already in trouble.”

“Oh,” Kairi said. “The infamous Roxas? What did you do? Nobody’s told me.”

There was another pause, and then the door closed and shapes appeared around the various set-ups Vexen was so intent on no one disturbing.

A boy and a girl, her age, in wheelchairs.

“I…” Roxas said. “I might have run off for a few days.”

“Cool,” Kairi said. “Why’d you come back?”

“Axel came to get me,” He said.

Kairi thought of her previous conversation. “Did he threaten you?”

“I mean,” The girl said. “That’s his job.”

“Yeah,” Roxas said. “But he didn’t, really.”

“Wow,” Kairi deadpanned. “How benevolent.”

“Well, he’s my friend,” Roxas said. “I feel like friends don’t usually threaten each other.”

“No, you’re right,” Kairi agreed. “He’d be a pretty bad friend if he did that.”

“So,” Roxas said. “I’m under house arrest for that, I guess. What are you in for?”

Kairi shrugged. “I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve got a special heart or because I know Sora.”

“Sora?” Both of the people in front of her asked. They glanced at each other, then, as if they hadn’t expected the other to have heard the name.

“Yeah,” Kairi said. “Sora.”

Roxas shifted in his chair. “Can you… tell me about him?”

“Why?” Kairi asked, squinting suspiciously.

Roxas shifted again. “Well…” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> had a presentation today, but we also had two tests so it got cancelled.
> 
> Roxas is a very curious young man! he is both a curiosity and full of curiosity. there are a lot of questions left unanswered about Nobodies in canon. *side eyes Larxene and Marluxia*


	19. Some People Have Different Priorities And Some Other People Are Kinda Bummed About It

“Oh, yeah, actually,” Peter said. “Riku  _ has _ been here since your last visit!”

“Where did he go?” Sora asked.

Peter shrugged. “Yeah, it was him, Mickey, Roxas, and Namine.”

“I’m sorry,” Sora said. “Who was that in the middle?”

“Mickey.”

“No, the other middle,” Sora said.

“Oh, Roxas?” Peter said. “Yeah, I guess he’s Ventus’ brother or something. Looked just like him. Someone came to take him somewhere else, though, so he’s not with them now.”

“Ventus?” Sora said.

“Guy I know,” Peter said. “Roxas’ brother, or something. Great guy! Haven’t seen him in ages, though.”

Sora considered what he knew about Nobodies and everything else that was going on, and came to an incorrect conclusion.

“Oh,” He said. “That’s, uh… unfortunate.”

“Wish I could help about Riku,” Peter said. “You’re no fun when you’re bummed out like this.”

“Thanks,” Sora said, not sure whether to be genuine or offended.

~*~*~*~

“So,” Yen Sid. “You lost Roxas.”

“That’s not the word I would have used,” Riku said. “But I can see why you said that.”

Yen Sid sighed. “It is unfortunate that Ventus’ heart is back in the hands of the Organization,” He said. “But that gives us the chance to look for someone else.”

“Aqua,” Mickey said. “She’s still trapped, somewhere in the Realm of Darkness.”

Yen Sid nodded.

“What about Sora?” Namine asked. “That’s who we’ve been looking for up until now.”

“Sora may be untrained, but he is accompanied in the Realm of Light,” Yen Sid said.

Mickey nodded. “Meanwhile, Aqua’s been alone in the Realm of Darkness for over a decade now.”

Riku and Namine looked at each other.

“I suppose I can help look for her,” Riku said slowly. “But the Realm of Darkness is pretty hard to move through.”

“Is this you saying you want to leave me here?” Namine asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because I’m sure we can work something out to let me come help out.”

“But Namine,” Mickey said. “You don’t have a keyblade.”

“Is that all I need?” Namine asked brightly. “You could give me one. That would solve our problems.”

“The keyblade can only be wielded by someone with a strong heart,” Yen Sid said. “And you, Namine, have none at all.”

Namine’s face dropped, not into disappointment or resignation, but annoyance. “It’s all about hearts with you people,” She said. It wasn’t an accusation, just a statement of how the world was from her perspective.

To be honest, Riku wasn’t even sure if she was wrong.

“If that’s all that matters, I’ll be on my way,” She said. “Find a place to set up shop until the light-heart-dark-whatever comes to kill us all.”

“Namine--” Riku said.

“Let her go, Riku,” Yen Sid said. “She’s made her decision. If she can’t handle the facts of this world, it is not your responsibility.”

Namine left the room.

“She’s still my friend,” Riku said. “I’ll… I’ll be right back.”

~*~*~*~

Kairi sat alone in the cell, hand outstretched.

“I’ll get this to work,” She said.

She flicked her wrist, snapping with her other hand.

That same twinge, just beyond her palm, stronger than ever.

Nothing formed. Nothing settled.

~*~*~*~

Riku caught up with Namine outside the tower.

“Hey,” He said.

“I don’t want to talk about what happened,” She said.

“We don’t have to,” Riku said. “I just…”

“I’m fine,” Namine said. “Really. You should go get ready to look for Aqua, I’ll…”

“Wander around aimlessly for an unspecified amount of time?”

She laughed a little. “Yeah, I guess so,” She said. “Don’t worry, though. I’m not helpless.”

~*~*~*~

“I’m sick of feeling helpless,” Kairi said. “I’ve had enough. I’ll get this!”

Twinge. Twinge. Twinge.

“I’ll get this to work!”

~*~*~*~

“I didn’t--”

“You didn’t say it, but you thought it.” Namine looked up at the stars. She was still rolling forward. “Everyone did, didn’t they?”

“No, I--”

“I’ve seen the memories inside your heart,” Namine said. “I didn’t want to look around, but I was afraid of what you would do if you found out what I was.”

Riku stopped walking.

Namine kept going, silently now.

“You’re stronger than I first gave you credit for, I’ll admit,” Riku said. “But I don’t want my friends to be alone.”

Namine stopped, and looked back at him.

~*~*~*~

Kairi gritted her teeth in frustration.

How had Sora felt, when he’d summoned the keyblade? What had been on his mind?

A blurry image of Riku flashed in her mind.

Twinge. Twinge. Twinge.

~*~*~*~

“We’re… really friends, huh?” She said. She was almost crying.

Riku nodded. “At the very least,  _ I’d _ like to think so.”

She looked away from him again. “That’s the first time anyone’s ever said that to me.”

“Wait until we find Sora,” Riku said. “You’ll start hearing it a lot.”

Namine laughed. “If Ventus is anything like him, then I’ll hear it even more someday.”

~*~*~*~

The outline of something.

Kairi’s eyes widened as it came into view.

~*~*~*~

Riku summoned his blade. “Here,” He said.

“What?”

“Maybe Yen Sid’s wrong. Maybe you  _ can  _ use a keyblade.” He held it out to her. “Only one way to find out, right?”

“It’s… Riku, this isn’t a keyblade.”

“Like I said, it’s complicated.”

Hesitantly, Namine reached out, taking the proffered blade him her own hands.

~*~*~*~

Kairi’s keyblade settled in her hand.

“Perfect,” She said, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sora: Yup. Roxas is definitely Ventus' Nobody.  
Goofy: That makes sense  
Sora: Right! There's literally nothing else that could have happened. It's definitely that.
> 
> Kairi: *successfully summons keyblade*  
Kairi: *has literally nothing else planned*  
Kairi: Oh yes, it's all coming together


	20. The Order Of The Day Is Crimes As It Would Happen

Xigbar awoke with a killer headache and his arms and legs inexpertly bound.

“Are you sure?” He heard Sora asking someone.

“I mean,” One of the town kids said, “I can’t think of anyone else who’d know.”

Xigbar pulled out of his restraints and stood. “Kids these days,” He muttered. “No good at making choices. Lucky I don’t feel like hurting children.” He tried to ignore his headache. He needed to stop drinking.

“Oh, so scary,” Sora said, deadpan. “Do you know where Riku is?”

Xigbar chuckled. “If I knew that, I’d hardly be here, would I?”

“Oh, wow, I hate that,” One of the kids who hadn’t previously spoken said. “Personally, I think that’s not a comforting response.”

“Not supposed to be,” Xigbar said. “Fact is, if any of us find him in the future, the boss wants us to bring him in.”

He found himself staring into no less than six unified expressions of horror. The dog and the duck didn’t give him much pause, but those children…

“Look, he’s not in any danger or anything,” He said, looking away from them. “We’ll probably just toss him at Vexen or Axel. He might be a nuisance, but anything else would  _ probably _ be counterproductive.”

“And what would ‘Vexen’ or ‘Axel’ do?” One of the town kids asked.

“Probably act like he was any other kid around the place.” Xigbar waved a hand vaguely. “Look, I’ve got stuff to do, alright? You kids play nice, or whatever.”

“Hey!” The duck said.

Xigbar walked past the assembled group, out of the small area they’d set up for their own use, and into the alley. Everyone followed him, complaining.

Xigbar sighed. “I have a job, you know.”

“Yeah, well, your job is kidnapping my best friend, so I’m not having it,” Sora said, wheeling around in front of him.

Xigbar was about to respond when the town kids and the dog dragged him to the ground and pinned him. “Wha-- Hey!”

“Get him!” The duck yelled.

After a few more moments of struggling, one of the town kids paused. “What exactly are we gonna… do, about keeping an adult man from running off and kidnapping this guy we don’t know where he is or how to contact him? I feel like we should consider that.”

“Oh,” Everyone else said. “Yeah, that’s a really-- That’s a good question, actually.”

“You don’t,” Xigbar said, getting out of their grip. “I’ve got a job to do. Asking about my boss’ motivations isn’t part of it.”

“Maybe it should be,” Sora said.

~*~*~*~

Kairi pointed her keyblade at the lock to her cell and beamed it. The door swung open, and she took a moment to be proud of herself.

Then she walked through it, through the room, to the other door that everyone else came through. She opened it.

This was really happening.

She was escaping.

The door hit Zexion square in the face, sending him stumbling back a few paces.

“Oh, no,” She muttered.

“Kairi?” Zexion asked. “What-- But how--”

Kairi considered the potential outcomes of either dropping into a combat stance or running past the man. She decided that it would have been preferable not to have encountered him in the first place.

“I--” Zexion gave her a helpless look, trying to form a sentence. Finally, he managed. “Is there anything I can do to convince you to turn back, at least for the time?”

“Nope,” She said. “What are you doing up so late, anyways?”

“Well, I--”

He was unfortunately cut off as a keyblade hit him full force in the stomach.

Kairi ran. She could get out of here, she could--

The hallway was a dead end. How? Zexion had to have come this way, but the only way out seemed to be back into the room she’d come from. They didn’t  _ have _ to teleport to get around their own castle, did they?

“This is to be, then,” Zexion said, still clearly out of breath. “Not ideal, really.”

“Let me go,” Kairi said.

Zexion shook his head. “I’m afraid you’d have to kill me first.”

Kairi sighed, and rushed him.

Obstacles kept springing up in her path, hard to dodge and harder to power through.

Eventually, though, it wasn’t the obstacles that got her, but the clumsiness that resides dormant in all of humanity until the certain moments where it can do everything or nothing. It was a strange nature of the universe, to do things that could change so much, yet so little, and if the occasional stubbed toe was the price for cosmic interventions, that seemed a price that someone, somewhere, had decided all of humanity would pay.

In short, Kairi tripped.

In the split second between the realization that she would hit the ground and the actual occurrence of the event, she did all she could, closing her eyes and bracing for the impact.

She hit, grunting with the impact, and pushed herself back upright, opening her eyes. There was a giant rock sitting there, casually jutting up from the ground about where her stomach had been.

She didn’t have any holes (she checked), so that had to mean…

“Oh,” Kairi said, and closed her eyes, starting to run again.

~*~*~*~

“I appreciate the thought,” Namine said.

“You can still come,” Riku said. “I mean, if you want to.”

“Mister Yen Sid or Mickey will be responsible for your transport to the Realm of Darkness, right?” She sighed. “So I can’t, not unless they agree.”

“Do you want to?” Riku asked.

“I’ve come this far with you,” She said. “I don’t want to be left behind.”

“Then we’ll convince them,” Riku said.

“How?” Namine asked. “I don’t have a weapon.”

“No, you’re magic,” Riku said. “Seems to work just fine for other people. Besides, shops exist.”

“Alright,” Namine said. “Is the Realm of Darkness wheelchair friendly?”

Riku considered that. “We’ll work something out,” He said. “Look, if you want to come, I want you along. You’re my friend, and I don’t want to imagine how Sora would react to me leaving a friend behind.”

Namine laughed. “So, it’s about Sora, is it?”

“Hey, he’s right about some things.”

~*~*~*~

_ “Bring me back.” _

Roxas twitched, eyes snapping open as his breath caught in his throat. He stayed silent for what felt like an eternity, but there was nothing but silence.

“I can’t,” He muttered. “I don’t know how. And I can’t leave again, they’ll kill me.”

Still nothing.

Roxas sighed, trying to relax. This was stupid. He shouldn’t be feeling with another person’s heart. He shouldn’t be feeling at all, right?

He sat up, and summoned Aqua’s keyblade.

“What was she like, Ven?” He muttered. “Was she your friend?”

Something inside his chest began to feel warm. It was… nice. Suddenly, he felt like he’d be able to get back to sleep.

He dispelled the keyblade.

“She sounds nice,” He said, lying back down and looking up at his ceiling. “Maybe we could eat ice cream together.” 

~*~*~*~

Kairi slammed into Zexion, sending him staggering again.

“Please,” He said. “Let’s end this. I don’t--”

“I don’t want to stay,” She said. “I doubt you’ll let me leave…?”

He sighed. “No.”

Her keyblade collided with his chest, sending him flying backwards. She opened her eyes a moment, just to get a bearing on where he’d be, and froze.

All the illusory obstacles were gone, and he was lying on the floor, the air around him distorting.

“What’s…”

He sighed again. “It looks like... This is the end of my story.”

“I see,” She said. She glanced behind her. The hallway was open once again. She could keep going. “I’m sorry it had to end this way, Ienzo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I have to add "Major Character Death" to the tags for this? This is a legitimate question. I'm not sure if he counts as a major character in the fic based on the scenes he's had. I don't think I've ever been in a situation where I might have to tag for this before. Also, if you said "no it's fine" and I did it anyways, how worried would you be, personally?
> 
> UPDATE: I *did* switch from "No Archive Warnings Apply" to "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" shortly after posting this chapter. I figured it would be prudent of me to go back and note this difference.


	21. Travel Agents Hate It: The Cheap Vacation Spot One Woman Didn't Leave For Over A Decade

“I can’t believe this,” Yen Sid muttered.

“Great,” Riku said. “Good for you. Can we get a move on? The sooner we find Aqua, the sooner we get back to looking for Sora.”

“The Realm of Darkness is tough to navigate,” Mickey said. “Are you sure--”

“We visited Santa Claus, in Christmas Town,” Namine said. “He gave me a new chair, look!”

She pushed a button on part of her chair and it sprouted insectoid legs, tucking its wheels up underneath it.

“Pretty neat,” Riku said, gesturing and giving Mickey and Yen Sid a pointed look. “So, let’s go, okay?”

“... Right,” Yen Sid sighed.

~*~*~*~

“Let’s go see Santa again,” Sora said.

“Is this about finding Riku, or about seeing Santa?” Donald asked.

“It can be about two things,” Sora said.

“Who knows,” Goofy said. “Maybe Riku’s somewhere that exists again.”

“A lot of things that don’t exist sure seem to show up,” Sora sighed. “You’d think if something was around, it’d exist.”

“Or that if it didn’t exist, it wouldn’t be around,” Goofy said.

“I hate that entire topic,” Donald said. “Just so we’re all aware.”

~*~*~*~

“Hi, Santa!” Sora said.

“Ah, Sora! Donald! Goofy! Hello again,” Santa said. “I just finished wrapping presents. Would you like to come with me when I deliver them to all the worlds where it’s Christmas right now?”

Sora’s eyes widened in awe.

“Sora,” Donald said in a warning tone.

~*~*~*~

Three hours later, the sleigh was almost empty.

“Who’s that last present for?” Sora asked.

“A very, very Nice young man,” Santa said. “Unfortunately, he’s missed a few Christmases, however. So, while it’s not Christmas where he is now, I figured I’d put him on this trip nonetheless.”

“Oh, no,” Sora said. “How’d he miss Christmas?”

The sleigh slowed, revealing the environment around them. A tower, near a river, with a relatively empty world around.

“He was somewhere that didn’t exist,” Santa said as the sleigh made a few laps around the tower and pulled up next to a window. “Goofy, can you get the latch for me?”

Goofy opened the window, and Santa climbed inside. Everyone peered in after him.

“Is that…?” Donald muttered.

Santa set the present next to the sleeping boy. “There you are, Ventus,” He said. “I do hope you’ll enjoy that when you wake up. Whenever that’s going to be.”

Donald and Goofy looked at each other, and they and Sora drew back from the window as Santa returned to the sleigh.

“Now,” He said. “Still looking for Riku?”

~*~*~*~

“Wow,” Namine said. “This is better lit than I was expecting.”

“Huh?” Riku and Mickey looked to her.

“Well, it’s called the Realm of Darkness,” She said. “Didn’t expect there to be enough light to see by.”

“Don’t curse it,” Riku said.

“Right,” Namine said. “Let’s go! Aqua’s gotta be somewhere.”

~*~*~*~

Kairi had made it out of the castle and into the town around it, and things had not really improved that much.

There were dusks everywhere, and all of them seemed to want to kill her, so much.

She ran, hacking and slashing her way through the mob around her as she just tried to get away.

Her necklace flashed, and a thought popped into her head. She pointed her keyblade straight forward.

“Come on,” She said. “Weird force suddenly possessing my jewelry, don’t lead me wrong.”

A corridor opened in front of her. It wasn’t a dark corridor, like she’d seen the Organization use a few times, but she recognized its capacities as somewhat similar.

A face flashed in her mind as she ran into it, the entrance sealing behind her. The light corridor distorted, then, but Kairi kept running towards the exit. She reached up and grabbed her necklace as she emerged into the Realm of Darkness.

~*~*~*~

“A decade…” Aqua groaned. “I can’t believe it’s been a _ decade _ . What’s been going _ on _ out there?”

The Realm of Darkness did not answer her.

She kept walking.

Eventually, she heard a sound behind her, and she turned.

A girl somewhere around the age Ventus had been was standing there, looking very confused, rather exhausted, and over all generally upset.

“I’m gonna say a swear word,” The girl said.

“Yeah, I feel that,” Aqua said.

The girl looked at her, some part wary and some part relieved. “Who are you?” She asked. “You seem… familiar.”

“My name is Aqua,” Aqua said. “What’s yours?”

“Kairi,” The girl said, visibly relaxing. She looked around. “Where are we?”

“The Realm of Darkness,” Aqua said. “Yeah, your name sounds familiar, too.”

“Let’s put that aside for now,” Kairi said. “Realm of Darkness? How’d I end up here?”

Aqua shrugged. “Where were you before?”

“Dunno,” Kairi said. “Somewhere controlled by these people called ‘Organization XIII’.”

“Haven’t heard of them,” Aqua said. “But it has been a few years, so that doesn’t help. Come on, let’s keep walking. Staying still here is asking for trouble.”

Kairi nodded, and the two of them started moving.

“Aqua?” Kairi asked.

“Yeah?”

“Did you ever hear of anyone named Ienzo?”

Aqua considered that for a long moment. “No,” She said finally. “I don’t think I did. Where would he have lived?”

“That’s what I want to know,” Kairi sighed.

~*~*~*~

“So Riku came to visit?” Sora asked.

“Yes,” Santa said. “He and his friend Namine were preparing to go somewhere that wasn’t very accessible.”

“Namine?” Sora muttered. “I… don’t know who that is.”

“She seemed like a very Nice girl,” Santa said. “Strange, though, that I couldn’t find her on either list.”

Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at each other.

“Does she… not exist?” Goofy wondered aloud.

“Perhaps,” Santa said.

“Remember what the Cheshire Cat said?” Sora asked his companions. “About the ‘princess of emptiness’? What if that’s her?”

“Makes sense,” Goofy said.

“But who is she?” Donald asked.

Sora shrugged. “Anyways, where were they gonna go? Where are they?”

Santa consulted his list. “It looks like…” He said.

Sora looked at him with wide, hopeful eyes.

“It looks like Riku’s in the Realm of Darkness,” Santa said.

“Again?” Sora groaned, slumping over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The introduction of Namine's spider chair! Also, Aqua is officially in this fic now. Two very important milestones.
> 
> This weekend's going to be really busy, but I'm going to try and get something else out related to this AU during that time. Because I have no self restraint and I have enough of a buffer on *this* fic to fill a small novel.


	22. Physical Combat Solves 99.7% Of Possession Cases, Study Finds

“I see,” Aqua said. “Destiny Islands, huh? I went there once.”

“It’s a nice place, huh?” Kairi said. “Wish I was there right now.”

“Ha, don’t we both?” Aqua sighed. “I wonder what ever happened to those kids I met…”

“Which kids?” Kairi asked.

“A couple of little boys named Sora and Riku,” Aqua said. “You know, Mickey was here briefly, and he and Riku were closing Kingdom Hearts, but I don’t know what happened to either of them afterwards, or…”

“Me, neither,” Kairi said. “I mean, I haven’t met this Mickey guy, personally, but Sora and Riku are my best friends, and I haven’t seen either of them since they closed Kingdom Hearts, either.”

“Ouch,” Aqua said intellectually. “So, uh, you all ended up with keyblades, huh?”

“Yeah,” Kairi said.

Aqua sighed. “I specifically didn’t bequeath Sora a keyblade of his own because I saw what happened with me and my friends.”

“What happened?” Kairi asked.

Aqua pulled a charm out of her pocket and sighed. “We fell apart,” She said. “Terra got possessed, Ventus lost his heart, and I ended up here.”

“Mm,” Kairi said. “Yeah, that tracks. I lost my heart, and eventually ended up here. Riku got possessed, and was here before I was. Sora… He’s actually  _ technically _ a Heartless right now, but in practice he’s a person, you know?”

“Riku got possessed?”

“Yeah,” Kairi said. “Some guy named Ansem who took advantage of Riku’s emo phase.”

“He’s not possessed  _ now _ , right?” Aqua asked.

“Don’t think so,” Kairi said. “Sora beat him up.”

Aqua considered that. “Yeah, Terra  _ almost _ stopped being possessed when I beat him up.”

“Sounds rough,” Kairi said.

“It is how it is,” Aqua said. “Oh, look! A headband!”

“A what?”

“Look, Kairi, you stay here long enough, you have to start celebrating the little things.”

~*~*~*~

“What happened?” Xemnas asked, hesitantly approaching Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

“Riku’s back in the Realm of Darkness,” Sora said, wiping his eyes. “I don’t understand, what’s going on?”

“A great many things,” Xemnas sighed. “It is… unfortunate.”

This did not seem to help very much, but Xemnas allowed himself to get pulled into another hug, awkwardly patting Sora’s head as the boy cried into his shoulder. Donald and Goofy gave Xemnas twin looks of obvious distrust, but said nothing.

Xemnas… understood. He wasn’t the important part of this situation, and neither were they.

The important part was the fifteen year old boy crying into his shoulder out of fear and uncertainty and hopelessness, over the fact that something was wrong and no one knew how to fix it.

Was fifteen too young to learn that lesson? Perhaps not, but in that moment, Xemnas would have said it was with complete certainty.

He didn’t ask to care about a child. He didn’t ask to care, in general.

It was too late to go back on that. It was too late to go back on a lot of things.

~*~*~*~

“You know,” Namine said. “It’s actually pretty boring here, once you get used to it.”

Riku nodded. “I swear we’ve been attacked by this exact same combination of Heartless at least thirty times.”

“This isn’t boring,” Mickey said. “It’s  _ dangerous _ .”

“It can be both,” Riku said.

Mickey looked at them with confusion and mild horror.

“Let’s keep looking,” Namine said. “The sooner we find Aqua, the happier we’ll all be.”

“Right,” Mickey said.

“Hey, what’s this?” Riku darted forward and picked something up. “A bracelet?”

~*~*~*~

“Oh!” Aqua said. “That’s where I heard your name before!”

Kairi turned to her, curiously.

“There was a world I visited, the Radiant Garden. There was a little girl named Kairi there, and since it’s apparently been at least a decade in the Realm of Light since I got here…”

“Could be,” Kairi said. “Wait, if it’s been a decade since you got here, how long has it been since I did?”

Aqua shrugged. “We’ll find out, I suppose.”

“Wonderful,” Kairi said.

~*~*~*~

“Sora, we’re not going to the Realm of Darkness,” Goofy said.

“But Riku’s there!” Sora said. “What if he’s in trouble?”

“He got out on his own last time,” Donald said. “We’re not going in after him.”

Sora sighed, but decided not to push the issue. He didn’t even know how to get there. “Alright then,” He said. “Let’s see if we can find that tower that Ventus is apparently in.”

“Why?” Donald asked.

“Because of a lot of reasons,” Sora said. “That I’m not sure how to summarize properly.”

“He’s definitely connected to Roxas, and Roxas recognized Sora from somewhere,” Goofy muttered.

“Yeah, like that,” Sora said.

~*~*~*~

“Roxas,” Axel said. “You’re being let out of house arrest early.”

“What?” Roxas perked up. “Really?”

Axel nodded. “We’ve got a mission together. Recon type.”

Roxas nodded, and followed Axel through a dark corridor.

They were on an island, with a lot of sand and wood and water. It looked like the kind of place where someone had gone through and painstakingly added ramps onto everything, which suited Roxas just fine, but…

“Axel?”

“Hm?”

“I know I learned how, but I kind of thought that Vexen and Zexion did most of the recon.”

Axel didn’t look at Roxas. “Well, today it’s us. Keep your eyes peeled.” Then he started walking, and Roxas had to follow.

It wasn’t really a satisfying answer, he felt, but it seemed to be the only one he’d get for the time. Roxas sighed. 

“Hey!” A voice behind them said. “Who are you?”

Roxas and Axel turned.

The girl standing there seemed familiar to Roxas, in the way that people Sora knew seemed to, and she looked less than pleased with them.

“Oh, uh,” Axel said, managing to regain his composure after the shock of the whole situation. “My name is Lea. My cousin and I were considering moving here to get away from all the family drama back home, and we wanted to check it out.” He indicated Roxas as he spoke.

The girl looked rather unconvinced.

“We didn’t know where to go at first,” Roxas said, latching onto the story. “But we met this guy Sora, who mentioned this place, and--”

“You know where Sora is?” All suspicions abandoned, the girl approached them. “No one’s seen him in ages, where is he?”

“We don’t know where he is  _ now _ ,” Axel said, shooting Roxas a look. “But we crossed paths with him once or twice, yeah.”

Roxas tried not to look too embarrassed about the scolding he was definitely going to get once this girl was out of earshot.

She sighed. “At least he’s okay,” She said. “That’s better than we know for Kairi and Riku.”

Roxas shot Axel a look, but Axel wasn’t looking at him anymore.

“That sounds rough,” Axel said neutrally. “Anyways, we should probably get what looking around we can done and move on. We’re not sure if we’re being followed.”

“I can show you around and tell you some stuff,” The girl said. “I’m Selphie. You’re Lea and…”

“Roxas,” Roxas said.

“Well, Lea and Roxas,” Selphie said brightly. “Follow me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, Aqua's accessories. They really didn't do as much with that as they could have. But I'm going to.
> 
> Xemnas doesn't have experience with the whole 'comforting people emotionally' thing, but he's doing his best, and his best involves being hugged.
> 
> Selphie! Remember Selphie? Yeah, she's in this series. Look at her. I don't know much about Final Fantasy, but Selphie is still here for a few minutes.
> 
> (Bleed and Burn, which you will find conveniently located directly after this work in the series, will be updating on Saturdays, and will hopefully not be nearly as long as Wheel and Turn is shaping up to be. Bleed and Burn is not vital to the understanding of Wheel and Turn, but it will explain a few things that'll be happening later, hopefully.)


	23. Saix Isn't Paid Enough To Deal With This Band Of Hooligans (Part Four) With Bonus Track From Yen Sid ("None Of These Kids Listen To Me")

“Yeah, so, I met these two really suspicious guys today,” Selphie said.

“How suspicious?” Wakka leaned back against a tree.

“At least one of them definitely gave me a fake name,” She said. “And also, they didn’t want me to mention them to anyone.”

“Oh, that’s suspicious alright,” Tidus said, eyes shining. “I wonder if they’ll be back.”

“I wonder if they’re spies,” Wakka said. “That’d be cool. Dunno why they’d be here, though.”

“One of them mentioned Sora,” Selphie said. “The other one got mad at him for it, but, like, discreetly, so I had to pretend I didn’t notice.”

“The plot thickens,” Tidus said. “Do you think they know where Riku and Kairi are?”

Selphie shrugged.

“Do you think they’d tell us if they did?” Tidus asked. “I mean, if they’re spies…”

“That Roxas kid didn’t seem like a very  _ good _ spy,” Selphie said.

“What kind of a name is Roxas?” Wakka asked. “Like, who is named that?”

“Roxas, apparently,” Selphie said.

“Supposedly,” Tidus said.

“He sounded genuine enough,” Selphie said. “It’s ‘Lea’ who I think was lying.” She did little air quotes around the name.

“You’re right,” Wakka said. “That’s also a suspicious name, but it’s one I can see someone trying to pass off as a real one. Roxas is too weird to be fake.”

Tidus considered that. “It sounds like a name Hana would have given to one of her book characters a couple of years back. It’s just missing a ‘Z’ and another ‘X’.”

“Zoxax,” Wakka muttered.

“Hey,” Selphie said. “ _ I _ thought Zoxax was a compelling protagonist. He had laser eyes. Doesn’t get cooler than that.”

“I forgot that was his actual name,” Wakka said. “Yeah, he was cool.”

“I liked his seven wings,” Tidus said. “That’s a solid number.”

“Yeah,” Selphie said. “Anyways, what are we gonna do about these suspicious guys who showed up?”

“Absolutely be on the lookout for more suspicious guys,” Wakka said.

“And eavesdrop,” Tidus said. “No question.”

“Well, that’s a given,” Selphie said. “I was more wondering if we should tell our parents.”

“You think they’d believe us?” Tidus asked.

“Tidus is right,” Wakka said. “Remember Sora’s ‘imaginary friend’?”

“Right,” Selphie said. “They didn’t even consider the possibility of that guy existing.”

~*~*~*~

“She’s not back on Destiny Islands,” Axel said. “Where to next?”

“Well, we can hardly have  _ you _ check the Hollow Bastion,” Saix said. “So, I suppose I can send Demyx there, and you can check everywhere else, starting with Neverland.”

“Great,” Axel said. “When should I head out?”

“Before we establish that, we need to talk about Roxas and Xion.”

Axel sighed. “Look, Roxas needed some fresh air. Sue me. What happened to Xion?”

“He could have run off again,” Saix said. “Or compromised our entire operation. Not only did you go _ behind my back _ to do something  _ incredibly reckless _ that could get us  _ both _ in trouble--”

“He followed his orders exactly,” Axel said.

“The two of you were  _ spotted _ , Axel,” Saix said.

“That was my fault,” Axel said.

Saix sighed. “Some punishment will have to be meted out, of course. For both of you.”

“He only did what I told him to,” Axel said. “As of this moment, he still has no idea that anything that happened was against orders.”

“Are you trying to get yourself killed, Lea?”

Axel froze. “Saix,” He said, finally. “You know that’s not my name, anymore.”

“Then act like it!” Saix snapped. “Stop pretending you have a heart, stop coddling Roxas and Xion, and stop running off to die over whatever the hell is going through your head!”

The two of them glared at each other for a long, hard moment.

“Why, Saix,” Axel said. “I didn’t realize you cared so much. At this rate, we might have to go out for dinner. Now,  _ what happened to Xion _ ?”

~*~*~*~

Aqua gasped in delight. “A bell!” She said.

“Aqua, wait!” Kairi said.

She had to chase after the woman, who had already climbed a ridge to reach the bell. Aqua was a powerful keyblade master, who had held her own in the semi-stasis, constant battle royale hellscape of the Realm of Darkness for over a decade, and she had decided that she was going to look cute while doing it.

Both of them were very surprised when another hand reached up snagged the bell. Swiftly, Aqua popped over the top of the ridge.

Kairi heard the shocked sound of someone very nearly falling from the other side.

“Riku!” Two people shouted, with concern.

“Riku?” She yelled back in surprise, running up and climbing the ridge to a position next to Aqua.

“Kairi?” Riku asked.

Aqua took the bell and turned it over in her hands. “Yeah, it’s a normal bell,” She announced. “We’re not looking at any puzzles in the near future. Here.” She affixed it to Kairi’s new headband.

“Kairi, what are you doing here?” Riku asked as the three of them slid down the ridge to his other companions. “I thought you were back on the islands.”

“I was,” Kairi said. “If we see anyone in a long, black coat, they’re in for an ass kicking.”

“Except Roxas and Xion,” A blonde in a legged chair said. “They’re alright.”

Kairi considered that. “Yeah, that’s fair,” She said. “But also, like, especially Axel.”

“Understandable,” Riku and the girl said in unison.

~*~*~*~

One contrived trip back to the Realm of Light and a few introductions later, everyone was back in Yen Sid’s tower hanging out around Ventus’ unconscious body.

“He  _ does _ look a lot like Roxas,” Kairi said. “It’s uncanny.”

“Well, this is Ventus,” Aqua said. “I feel really bad, abandoning him for a whole decade.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Aqua,” Mickey said.

“I know, but…”

“We need Roxas, if we want to wake him up,” Yen Sid said. “And we need Roxas or Sora to understand the Power of Waking.”

“If he leaves the Organization, they’ll track him down,” Namine said. “That’s what happened last time.”

“So that’s a dead end, for now,” Riku said. “I think we should keep looking for Sora. At the very least, I will.”

“I’m coming, too,” Kairi said. “I’m sick of waiting around for other people to make stuff happen.”

“Before you go, there is something we need to take care of.” Yen Sid crossed his arms.

“Oh, right,” Namine said. “I almost forgot about that part.”

“Huh?” Kairi looked between the two of them.

“Kairi,” Yen Sid said. “Namine is your Nobody. You two must become one again, for your own sake.”

Kairi considered that. “But I’ve got my body,” She said.

“She was made from your heart exiting Sora’s body alongside his own,” Yen Sid said.

“Yeah, okay,” Kairi said. “But if I’ve got my heart, and my body, and my soul, probably, what am I missing, exactly? Why does Namine have to stop existing?”

“She already does not exist,” Yen Sid said.

“Well,” Kairi said. “She could have fooled me.”

“Her presence violates the laws of the universe,” Yen Sid tried to explain.

“Good for them, I guess,” Kairi said. “I don’t want to absorb anyone. That feels very rude, in my opinion. Namine’s my sister and I’m not gonna do that to her.”

“Kairi,” Yen Sid said.

“No, she’s made up her mind,” Riku said. “If you’ll accept that you’ve lost this argument, it’ll save us a whole lot of time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The biggest plot twist in this entire story is that "Saix Isn't Paid Enough To Deal With This Band Of Hooligans" is a collection of albums, from Saix, clearly.
> 
> Aqua and Kairi are in the Realm of Light again! (Hooray!) Now Kairi can bond with her sister/Nobody and Aqua can *checks notes* blame herself for the present state of her friends. Oh, dear.


	24. Axel Has A Lot Of Opinions About What's Going On Also What Is That

“Hey, Sora.”

Sora whirled, drawing his keyblade. Donald and Goofy followed suit with their own weapons. “Axel!”

“Easy, easy,” Axel said, waving his hands placatingly. “I’m not any more fond of my boss than you are, I just wanna talk.”

Sora did not back down.

“Alright,” Axel said. “That’s cool, I can talk with you pointing a weapon at me. See, boss has me looking for a girl, right? Only problem is, she reminds me an awful lot of Xion, so I’m not exactly stoked for the Organization to be holding her prisoner again.”

“‘Again’?” Sora asked.

“Yeah.” Axel rubbed the back of his head. “Again. So, naturally, we can guess she wouldn’t go along with any conspiracies I could come up with to avoid kidnapping her again.”

“Why are you telling us this?” Donald demanded.

“Because that’s where you three come in, see?” Axel said. “If you three find Kairi first, well, suddenly it’d be four on one if I tried anything. Hardly good odds for me, right?”

“Kairi?” Sora asked. “You kidnapped Kairi?”

Axel shrugged. “Maybe so. You want to stop me from doing that again, right?”

Sora charged, but Axel stepped backwards into a dark corridor and vanished.

“Wow,” Goofy said. “That’s obnoxious.”

“You’re telling me,” Donald said.

~*~*~*~

Axel arrived back in Neverland and sighed. “Went about as well as I’d expect,” He muttered. “Still, now he knows, I guess.”

A small, bright light took that moment to collide with the side of his head and ring angrily.

“Yeah, yeah,” Axel said. “I know, I suck.”

The fairy started dive bombing him repeatedly.

“Ow! Hey-- Hey!” Axel raised his arms to shield his face. “Sheesh, leave me alone! I’m just gonna wander around for a few minutes and then leave. The sooner I get this done, the sooner I get to go home.”

The fairy chimed aggressively and kept up the assault.

“Fine! It’s not home! I don’t have a home! I’ll still be out of here soon enough!”

“No home?” Peter Pan asked, and the fairy returned to circle around him, her ringing becoming more reminiscent of a mutter than a yell. “Why not?”

“That’s my business,” Axel said stiffly, brushing pixie dust off of himself. “I must be going.”

“No, come on,” Peter said, floating over to Axel. “Why don’t you have a home?”

Axel sighed. “Because home is where the heart is, and I have no heart.”

Peter considered that. “You’re heartless?”

“No,” Axel said. “I’m a Nobody.”

“Huh,” Peter said.

“Now,” Axel said, starting to walk away. “I’ll be on my way. I’ve got a few places left to check.”

“Aw, come on,” Peter said, following. “Hey, I don’t know much about any of this stuff, but you don’t sound like you’re really enjoying yourself.”

“I don’t ‘enjoy’ things,” Axel said.

“Hmf,” Peter said. “See, this is why I never grew up.”

“This isn’t a ‘grown up’ thing,” Axel said. “I don’t have a heart, so I can’t enjoy things. It’s that simple.”

“Well, I’ve never met an adult who enjoyed anything,” Peter said. “So maybe you’re not missing much. Oh, well, I guess Hook enjoys treasure. There’s that.”

“Yeah,” Axel said. “Everyone with a heart enjoys  _ something _ .”

“Well, maybe there’s something you enjoy,” Peter said. “You just haven’t figured it out.”

“Aren’t you listening?” Axel said. “I don’t have a heart. I don’t feel.”

“Are you sure?” Peter asked. “Because you seem kinda mad.”

“I’m not.”

“What was your name again?” Peter floated around him. “You said you’re Roxas’ friend, right? I don’t get how you can be friends without feeling anything.”

“I’m  _ complicated _ ,” Axel said through gritted teeth.

“Well, maybe whoever told you can’t feel is a liar,” Peter said.

~*~*~*~

Roxas didn’t look up as Saix approached.

“Roxas,” Saix said.

“I’m in trouble again, huh?” He said.

Saix didn’t acknowledge the question. “Since I know you believe such matters concern you, I’ve come to inform you that you will not be seeing Axel for quite some time.”

“What?” Roxas’ head swiveled towards Saix.

“I’m sure, by now, you’ve figured out that the little…  _ Excursion _ , let’s say, that the two of you took to the Destiny Islands was not supposed to include you. It hasn’t been two weeks yet.”

Roxas didn’t reply, but he looked away from Saix.

“After some discussion, Xigbar, Lord Xemnas, and I decided that you were under the impression that you were following orders,” Saix continued. “So we’ve elected simply to extend your house arrest for another week.”

“Thanks,” Roxas grumbled, feeling that it was expected of him.

Saix’s eyes narrowed. “We have been lenient with you, Roxas,” He said. “I’m not entirely sure why. Keep in mind that it will not last forever.”

Roxas nodded. “I will.”

~*~*~*~

“What is that?” Sora asked, watching the strange creature nose about the bushes outside of Disney Castle.

“We’re not sure,” Queen Minnie said. “We’ve been seeing them for a few days now. They don’t chase people, but they attack if anyone gets close. Could you take care of them, please?”

“Of course!” Sora, Donald, and Goofy said.

“That’s wonderful,” Minnie said. “Thank you.”

~*~*~*~

“They’re not that strong,” Sora said. “We’ll be done in no time.”

They heard screams from another part of the castle, and rushed off towards them.

~*~*~*~

“Oh, that’s a big one,” Donald said.

The three of them moved back slightly, drawing their weapons as they prepared to charge the beast in the throne room.

“Yeah,” A voice behind them said. “Figured you’d like to know how it felt, dealing with someone so much bigger than you.”

They turned.

“Vanitas?” Sora asked.

“Sora,” Vanitas said coolly. He was holding one of the smaller creatures casually.

“What are-- What’s going on?”

“Sora, you know this guy?” Goofy asked.

Vanitas shrugged, and the creature in his arms chittered quietly. “It’s a long story. I doubt even  _ he _ knows all of it.”

“Are you… in control of these things?” Sora gestured vaguely.

“They’re called Unversed,” Vanitas said. “And, yeah. Mostly. They’ve got to exist, as long as I do.”

“Why  _ here _ ?” Donald demanded. “Why can’t you just go somewhere else?”

“No matter where I go, I’m going to get that.” Several more of the small creatures they’d seen before appeared, melting and sliding along the floor to skitter around the larger one’s feet. “So why should I care when I do?”

“Stop scaring the people of Disney Castle,” Goofy said. “Can’t you keep a leash on these things?”

Several more of them appeared from Vanitas’ shadow. “What, you don’t like them?” He raised an eyebrow. “Alright.”

“Vanitas--” Sora said.

“That big guy’s called a turtletoad,” Vanitas said, as more Unversed appeared around him. “Let’s see how you do without the advantage of size or number.”

He summoned a dark corridor, and stepped backwards into it, leaving Sora, Donald, and Goofy against the hoard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vanitas is here! Now I can give him all of my issues
> 
> Because I've gotten a few questions about when Sora and Vanitas met, I will refer y'all to [this chapter](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422001/chapters/49301840). I'll try and remember to put links to chapters being called back to in end notes in the future, if there are chapters between them.


	25. Someone Has To Step Up And Start Keeping A Diary Already

Riku, Kairi, and Namine had set out to find Sora, and maybe also some information on his replica, at least. Mickey and Aqua had elected to stay behind and help Yen Sid look after Ventus.

“Nice night,” Kairi said.

“Yeah,” Riku said.

They were in Agrabah, that night, looking up at the stars and hoping not to get buried by the sand.

“Wonder what Sora’s up to,” Kairi said.

“Me, too,” Riku said.

“Looking for you, probably,” Namine said. “It might be time to go back to the Cheshire Cat and ask some more questions.”

“Update the information he’s got on us?” Riku raised an eyebrow.

“If Sora’s visiting him at all, it might be a good idea,” Kairi said.

“Let’s go tomorrow, then,” Riku said. “In the meantime, it’s pretty late. We should get some rest.”

“Yeah,” Kairi muttered. “Like  _ that’s _ going to happen.”

~*~*~*~

Sora dispelled his keyblade, looking around. “Vanitas!” He yelled. “What’s going on? What are you doing?”

“I was  _ trying _ to mind my own business, until you started killing my Unversed.”

Sora whirled, to see Vanitas sitting on the throne.

“Hey!” Donald yelled. “You can’t sit there!”

“Why not?” Vanitas asked. “Nobody else is.”

“That’s the king’s throne!” Goofy said.

“Hm,” Vanitas said.

“Vanitas,” Sora said. “Why are you here?”

“You know?” Vanitas said. “That’s what I’ve been looking into. They’ve got a pretty good library here.”

“Huh?” Sora cocked his head in confusion.

“We met in your heart, Sora,” Vanitas said, summoning another Unversed into his arms. “You woke me up and brought me there, and when I left it I found myself able to wake up on my own. I’d say it’s worth trying to find out why.”

“I’m lost,” Donald said.

“Yeah,” Sora said. “Me too.”

Vanitas sighed. “I’ll tell you what. Sora, the library here is good, but it doesn’t have what I’m looking for. I’m going to go find another one. Drop by, sometime.”

“Wha-- Where?” Sora started forward, but Vanitas was already gone.

~*~*~*~

“Have you been in here all day, Roxas?”

“Where else am I gonna go?” Roxas opened his eyes and pushed himself upright. “I’m still grounded, Axel’s on some mission, and I haven’t seen Xion at all.”

Xigbar sat down next to Roxas. “That’s what I’m here to talk to you about.”

Roxas looked at him warily. “What happened to her?”

“She’s vanished.” Xigbar shrugged. “Completely gone.”

“What?” Roxas yelped.

“Easy, Tiger,” Xigbar said. “We’re still looking into it, but she’s managed to get completely lost.”

“Is… Is that where Axel is?” Roxas asked. “Looking for her?”

Xigbar ruffled Roxas’ hair, but it was different from how Axel always did it. Rougher. “Yeah,” He said. “Yeah, exactly.”

Something in his voice made Roxas uneasy. “What’s gonna happen when we find Xion?” He asked.

“That depends on why she left,” Xigbar said.

~*~*~*~

“Alright, cool it,” Vanitas muttered. He might have snapped with more volume or venom, except for the fact that he was remarkably short of breath. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time. “Let me sit down first, why don’t you?”

The pressure relented, although that was probably more due to the force behind it running out of energy.

“I’ll get your damn reading list, and somewhere quiet,” He said. “Then it’s your turn. I know I took too long.”

_ “Let me out.” _

“I am! Damn!”

He had to take a moment after that to avoid someone who had, unfortunately, heard him. That had been an unforeseen consequence of yelling somewhat. Still, he found the books, and he found a place no one else had been able to get to yet.

That was what mattered.

That was what mattered as Vanitas, once again, slipped into sleep.

~*~*~*~

Sora was distracted all through the thank you dinner thrown by the residents of the castle, and ended up slipping out early to wait for Donald and Goofy to be done catching up.

“Not in the mood for a party?”

“Xemnas!” He turned. “What are you doing here?”

Xemnas considered, for a moment, how to answer. “I heard a rumor,” He said. “Some sort of commotion.”

“Yeah,” Sora said. “It’s over now, don’t worry.”

“I see,” Xemnas said. He took a seat at a nearby bench. “I take it you had something to do with the resolution.”

Sora nodded. “Yeah,” He said. “It was… weird.”

“Weird how?”

“The person responsible…” Sora struggled for the words for a moment. “We’d sort of met before. In a dream, or something. I thought I just dreamed him up before, but…”

Xemnas nodded.

“Why did you come to check it out?” Sora asked.

“The rumor… reminded me of something,” Xemnas said.

“Of what?”

“I’m not sure.”

Sora gave Xemnas a quizzical look.

“Once, some time ago, I made a decision,” Xemnas said. “I could not tell you whether it was a wrong or right one, or even, really, what it was. In the end, I lost most of my memories. I’ve been trying to recall, with the help of an ally, but it’s slow going.”

“Oh,” Sora said. “So… Vanitas and the Unversed reminded you of something you’d forgotten?”

“I believe so,” Xemnas said.

They sat in silence for a while.

“Xemnas?”

“Yes, Sora?”

“Why does he look like me?”

Xemnas blinked. “Does he?”

Sora nodded. “It’s weird. He looks like me, but different.”

Xemnas considered that. “Strange.”

More silence.

“What if he’s my Nobody?” Sora asked.

“Hm?”

“Once, I gave up my heart to free my friend’s,” Sora said. “I just realized, I got back to being myself again in a pretty weird way. My original body might still be out there.”

“Perhaps,” Xemnas allowed, trying not to think about Roxas and Namine too hard. “But let’s back up a bit. What were those Unversed you mentioned?”

Sora shrugged. “Vanitas said they’d exist as long as he did.”

“That doesn’t  _ sound _ like something that would happen with a Nobody,” Xemnas said. “Even the most powerful of them… I’ve never heard of anything like it.”

“Hm,” Sora said. “But… who else would he be?”

“I don’t know,” Xemnas said.

But he’d have to find out, wouldn’t he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Once again, Vanitas is referencing this chapter](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422001/chapters/49301840) This time, Sora references it, too.
> 
> Sora looks through the evidence and comes to the most logical conclusion, only for it to be incorrect. It is how it is, I suppose. Wouldn't be the first time.
> 
> My sister brought something up that I have to wonder about now; is Vanitas arguably a Heartless? Like, Heartless are the physical forms of released hearts, taking shape from the darkness inside them. If someone's heart is pure darkness when it's released, does it become like a dude? If Vanitas is a Heartless, does that mean other powerful Heartless could conceivably control Unversed? Could Ansem, Seeker of Darkness done it, if the thought had occurred to him? This might turn into another AU.


	26. Local Man Talks To Cat And Doesn't Like The Answers He's Getting

“Have you seen Sora since we last visited?” Riku asked.

“Oh, have I?” The Cheshire Cat lounged casually on his branch. “‘Twas  _ supposed _ to be him, ‘twasn’t she?”

“Okay,” Riku said. “Let’s try again. I’m looking for Sora, who I know and am friends with. Not any alternate versions of him or Nobodies or replicas or anything.”

“Oh,” The Cat said with exaggerated understanding. “Yes! The boy who wanders, unfettered! Who, for the time, somehow  _ only  _ holds his own heart in his own self. That is who you seek, yes.”

“Yes…?” Kairi said.

“Once he came to sit before me, seeking to find those who stand before me now, and that who doesn’t.” The Cat said, waving his paw vaguely. “And once, I sent him on his way with as much as I could find it in me to say.”

“Where?” Riku asked, voice measured.

“Wherever he may be,” The Cat said. “To follow the list-maker, perhaps. To amble beyond reason, mostly. To find himself somewhere he did not say, in the company of those who stay by his side and the one who doesn’t. To see the shell he knows too little of in lands I should not have seen.”

“Riku, I’m tagging you out,” Namine said.

“But--”

“I know.”

Kairi stepped forward. “What do you mean by ‘shell’? She asked.

“I think he means a Nobody,” Namine said. “We’re empty bodies, after all.”

“Oh, do I?” The Cat removed his head, showing his own empty interior. “Perhaps I mean someone emptier, or someone fuller.”

“This isn’t getting us anywhere,” Riku said. “We should go back to Agrabah. Maybe Aladdin’s seen Sora.”

“Oh, do stick around,” The Cat said. “Or visit somewhere else, emptier than a body with two half hearts, and find whoever’s awake to tell you what they know.”

“Did someone tell you where they were going?” Namine asked.

“Oh, but better,” The Cat said. “I chased a mouse too far, and saw him go so desperately where she could not be followed.”

Namine, Kairi, and Riku looked at each other.

“Maybe Genie knows,” Riku decided.

“I’m gonna have to start writing this stuff down,” Namine said.

“‘Emptier than a body with two half hearts’,” Kairi mused.

~*~*~*~

“Oh, yes,” Queen Minnie said. “I know a tower like that.”

“You do?” Sora, Donald, and Goofy asked.

“Of course!” She crossed her arms. “And so do you two, Donald and Goofy.”

Donald and Goofy looked at each other. “We do?”

“Master Yen Sid’s tower,” Minnie said.

“Oh!” Donald and Goofy said. “Of course!”

“... Who?” Sora asked.

“Yen Sid’s the one who taught King Mickey to use the keyblade,” Donald explained.

“Mhm,” Minnie nodded, pulling something out of a desk drawer. “And his tower is always moving, but you should be able to find it with this.”

Sora accepted it. It was an envelope.

“I figured you three would need to go there at some point, for something or another,” Minnie said. “When you’re ready to go, head outside and open it.”

“Thanks, Queen Minnie!” Sora said.

“Of course,” She said. “It’s the least I could do.”

“We should get going,” Sora said. “I’ve got a lot of questions to ask.”

~*~*~*~

“I don’t suppose there’s been any change,” Yen Sid said.

Aqua shook her head. “Hasn’t moved a muscle. Have you figured anything out?”

Yen Sid shook his head. “I have been searching for an old friend of Mickey’s and myself. He may know what to do, but unfortunately, he is nowhere to be found.”

“Mm,” Aqua said. Slowly, she pushed something into Ventus’ palm, curling his fingers around it. “I’ll be right back. I need to get something to eat.”

Yen Sid nodded, and moved to let her pass.

As she left, he glanced at the object in Ventus’ hand.

It was a hairclip.

~*~*~*~

“You’re back,” Roxas said.

“That’s right, Tiger,” Xigbar said. “I just remembered, I promised to answer some questions for you before you ran off, didn’t I?”

“Right.” Roxas shifted uncomfortably.

“So ask away,” Xigbar said. “Like I promised. Anything you want to know.”

“Anything?”

“Well,” Xigbar allowed. “There’s some stuff that isn’t my place to say, but anything else.”

Roxas considered that. He had a lot of questions, sure, but was Xigbar the person he wanted to ask about them? “Uh…” He managed.

Xigbar gestured for him to continue.

“When you said--” Roxas cut off, reconsidering.

“When I said…?”

Roxas sighed, and then took a very deep breath, hoping he wouldn’t have to stop in the middle of his first question. “When you said Riku and them didn’t care about me and I said you couldn’t care because you didn’t have a heart you told me not to jump to conclusions.” Breath. Oh, well.

Xigbar nodded.

“Why?”

“‘Why?’” Xigbar laughed. “Why what?”

“Everyone said we don’t have hearts because we’re Nobodies, and we can’t feel or care about things because we don’t have hearts,” Roxas said. “So why did you say  _ that _ then?”

Xigbar laughed again, but it wasn’t the same as before. “You’re a smart kid, Roxas,” He said. “You know that?”

Roxas watched him impatiently.

Xigbar sighed. “A long time ago, when I was a young man, I had a family,” He said. “When my son came of the age to learn, my… an acquaintance of mine offered to teach him to fight.”

“Oh,” Roxas said. “I… don’t get it.”

“You’re young,” Xigbar said.

“What does your son have to do with that time?”

Xigbar sighed. “There were… accidents,” He said. “The first nearly killed him. It was a miracle he survived, but he ended up forgetting all about me. There were many more, after that. For a while, he was arguably dead. The last accident, though, well…”

Roxas wasn’t sure whether he wanted to try to look more or less attentive than he felt.

“The last left him the state you found him in, in the Chamber of Waking.”

Roxas blinked, Ventus’ heart going cold in his chest. “ _ Ventus _ is--”

“Sheesh, tell the whole castle, will you?” Xigbar said.

“Sorry,” Roxas said automatically. “I just--”

“You’re a lot like him,” Xigbar said. “You make it hard not to care about you. It’s a trait the two of you share.”

“Oh,” Roxas said. “Y-Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Xigbar said. “So, any other questions?”

“You know?” Roxas said. “I, uh, can’t think of anything right now. I’ll let you know. Good night.”

“It’s not that late, and you’ve been in here for three days,” Xigbar said.

“Okay,” Roxas said. “But, uh, having nothing to do makes me tired, and I need to, um, process the idea that you were young once.”

Xigbar laughed. For some reason, Roxas was starting to find the sound really grating. “Alright, alright,” He said. “I’ll be back tomorrow. If anything, I’ll give you a sense of time.”

“Great,” Roxas said. “Close the door after you.”

As the door clicked shut, Roxas sighed. “It’s always about you, isn’t it?”

Ventus’ heart felt frozen and heavy. It did not answer him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Xigbar: I am Ventus' father  
Roxas, reading over a couple of charts he stole from me: No, it clearly says here that Sora adopts Ventus as a brother and Xemnas as a father, so Xemnas is Ven's father.  
Xigbar: Wh--
> 
> Namine: Riku, why are you so insistent on going to Agrabah?  
Kairi, sipping a juice box: he just fuckin loves sand


	27. Magic Tall Tower Has Not Installed An Elevator For Some Reason

“So, we open this up,” Sora said, holding the envelope as he, Donald, and Goofy looked up at the sky some distance outside the walls of Disney Castle. “Then what?”

“If it was so hard, Queen Minnie would have told us,” Donald said.

“Let’s just open it and see what it is,” Goofy suggested.

Sora nodded, and ripped the seal.

Three train tickets fell out into his lap.

The three of them stared.

“There isn’t a train here,” Sora said finally.

“No,” Donald and Goofy agreed.

They pondered the tickets a while longer.

“Okay,” Sora said. “I’ve got a dumb idea.”

“And what is that?” Donald asked.

Sora picked up the tickets and dropped them on the ground. They sparkled and disappeared.

“Sora!” Donald and Goofy exclaimed.

Sora chuckled nervously. “... Oops?”

The others didn’t have time to berate him, because at that moment they heard a train whistle approaching.

“I don’t believe this,” Donald muttered as the train pulled to a stop in front of them.

~*~*~*~

“Yeah,” Aladdin said. “I  _ did _ see them. I’m not sure where they went after they asked after you.”

“Oh,” Riku said.

“So, where to now?” Kairi sighed.

“Maybe we could go ask Santa,” Namine said.

“Who’s Santa?” Aladdin asked.

“Nobody,” Kairi said quickly, pulling Riku and Namine aside. “Does world order mean nothing to you?”

“You didn’t mind so much with the Cheshire Cat,” Riku said.

“I’m half convinced he’s been to other worlds, myself,” Namine said.

Kairi nodded at her. “Besides, I’d give it a solid 70% chance Sora’s getting himself into places Santa can’t find him. You know how he is, Riku.”

Riku tried to come up with an argument for that, but he really couldn’t. “Alright,” He said. “Let’s go back to Master Yen Sid. Maybe he’s got an update on the Ventus situation.”

“He doesn’t like me very much,” Namine said.

“Okay, no Yen Sid,” Riku said. “Peter Pan?”

“Peter Pan sounds good,” Kairi said. “Although, we probably  _ should _ check in with Yen Sid sometime soon. At least one of us.”

“Alright,” Riku said.

“Peter Pan time?” Namine asked.

“Peter Pan time,” Kairi and Riku agreed.

~*~*~*~

“Don’t you have anything else to do?” Axel asked.

“No,” Peter said. “To be honest, I’m kind of curious to see how you intend to leave Neverland. You can’t even fly.”

“Leave me alone,” Axel said. “I have boring grown-up stuff to do.”

“Hm,” Peter said. “Do you, though?”

“Yeah,” Axel said. “This whole thing? Geological survey.”

“I don’t know what those words mean,” Peter said seriously.

Axel sighed. “This is my penance,” He muttered. “My penance for every bad life decision I’ve made so far. Would it kill the universe to tell me what of what I did earned me this?”

“For someone who adamantly doesn’t feel things, you sure have a lot of emotions about what’s going on,” Peter said.

“Do you ever shut up?” Axel groaned, barely suppressed fire licking his shoulder blades.

“Nope,” Peter said.

Axel twitched.

~*~*~*~

Vanitas awoke to three things: a splitting headache, a bone deep confusion, and a neatly sorted collection of books. Each stack had a note on top.

_ Return _

_ Reread for clarity _

_ Vanitas you’d better read these ones I  _ _ swear _

_ Haven’t gotten to these yet _

He huffed. “Right, right.”

The hidden, empty room didn’t answer him. His stomach did, growling as his head reordered itself into something more functional.

“Did we run out of food?” He muttered. “How long was I asleep, anyhow?”

With no satisfactory answer presenting itself, he stood and left the hidden room. Then he left the hidden room that the room he  _ had _ been in had been hidden in.

There was a lot that was still hidden from the people who lived in this place, now.

He slipped out of the castle and into town, snagging a cloak on the way. Food, that was what mattered.

~*~*~*~

“Yeah, this is it,” Goofy said. He approached, and knocked on the door.

There was silence, then, except for the sound of Donald and Sora attempting to get Sora up the outside stairs.

Goofy knocked again. This time, the door swung open.

Soon, the three of them were in the entry room of the tower, looking up.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Sora said.

“Hello!” Donald called.

“Anybody home?” Goofy added.

“This is the impossible trial,” Sora sighed. “Unless the walls have their own gravity and I can wheel up them.”

They looked around at each other. Sora wheel over to a wall and waved his hand around near it.

“Nope,” He declared, leaning his head against the wall in frustration.

“Hello?” A voice called from the top of the stairs.

“Hi!” Goofy said. “Aqua, is that you?”

There was a pause, filled only by the sound of a young woman plummeting through the air. Eventually, when she was most of the way down, Aqua bounced off of nothing at all and landed neatly on the ground. “Goofy! Donald!” She said warmly. “It’s been too long!”

“We heard you got lost in the Realm of Darkness!” Donald said.

She nodded.

“Welcome back,” Goofy said.

He and Donald shook her hands.

Sora approached slowly. “Hi,” He said. “I’m Sora.”

“Sora!” Aqua said, her face lighting up. “You’ve grown so much since I last saw you, I didn’t recognize you!”

“We’ve… met?” Sora managed.

“Once,” Aqua said. “When you were very young. It wasn’t too long after your friend Riku first came in contact with the keyblade, actually.”

“Oh, okay,” Sora said. “So, uh… Did Master Yen Sid teach you about keyblade stuff?”

“No,” Aqua said. “He trained alongside my master, Master Eraqus.”

Sora nodded. “Hey, do you know how I can get up all these stairs?”

“Hm,” Aqua said. “Namine used her spider chair, when she was here.”

“Spider chair?” Sora asked, eyes wide. “I want a spider chair! Where’d she get it?”

Aqua shrugged. “Didn’t ask. Sorry.”

“Aw, man,” Sora sighed.

“Here, I know,” Aqua said. “I can carry you up the stairs.”

“You… don’t have much experience with wheelchairs, do you?” Sora asked.

“Well, no,” Aqua admitted. “I am, however, very buff, and confident in my ability to carry your whole sha-bang to the top of this tower.”

“She probably can,” Goofy said.

“Alright,” Sora allowed. “Let’s try it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [When last we discussed the accessibility of Yen Sid's tower](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422001/chapters/49782497)
> 
> Coming up next week: Kairi regrets past decisions, Vanitas makes a friend, and Axel is still in Neverland.


	28. This Game Doesn't Have Any Proper Bears So That Joke Doesn't Even Really Work

Aqua set Sora down at the top of the stairs. “There,” She said. “We’re up.”

Sora blinked, not quite processing the amount of muscle this woman just  _ happened to have, no big deal, not to be surprised about in the slightest, really. _

“Hey, Sora?” She waved her hand in front of his face.

“We’re up,” He said weakly. It seemed, to him, that everything he’d ever done was weak in comparison to this incredibly competent, buff woman.

Aqua could have bench pressed the Hollow Bastion. She could have pushed the door to Kingdom Hearts closed with one hand. She’d probably dead-lifted her way out of the Realm of Darkness.

She smiled a little, having confirmed he hadn’t gone braindead during their ascent, and turned to leave. “You should probably talk to Master Yen Sid,” She said as she walked away. “You know, since this is his tower, and all.”

“Right,” Sora said as Donald and Goofy made it up the stairs. “Yeah, I-- I should do that.”

“Sora, are you okay?” Goofy asked.

“Goofy,” Sora said. “Do you know how  _ I _ can get that buff?”

~*~*~*~

Roxas’ plan had three steps.

Step one. Wait out the remainder of his term on house arrest, and maybe find out why no one had been talking about Zexion while he was at it. It was practically unbearable to stay in the Castle that Never Was doing nothing at all, but he’d just have to manage. Still, that was the easy part.

Step two. Find Riku, Mickey, and Namine, and apologize for leaving them behind back in Neverland. From there, hopefully, they might decide to help him look for Xion. He supposed they would. They wanted Ventus’ heart almost as much as Ventus did. They’d probably go along with it just so he’d cooperate with them.

Step three. Find Xion. Figure out why she left the Organization. Evaluate further actions from that information.  Try not to die . Stay with Xion. Hope Axel could stay, too.

He sighed.

This was going to take  _ so _ many sub-plans.

“You awake, Tiger?” Xigbar’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

Roxas closed his eyes and didn’t respond, hoping Xigbar would just go away.

It didn’t work. He heard the man’s footsteps cross the floor, and felt his legs get gently moved aside as Xigbar sat down.

“What did you wear yourself out on, eh?”

Maybe if Roxas stayed perfectly still and pretended to be asleep or dead or something, Xigbar would leave. That was how that worked, right?

Xigbar sighed. “Curious kid like you, you’ve got to have gotten into  _ something _ by now.”

Maybe that wasn’t Xigbar. Maybe he was thinking of Xaldin.

“I wonder if you’ve found out about Zexion, yet. Seems like the kind of thing Larxene would spring on you.”

What  _ had _ happened to Zexion? Roxas had seen Larxene once since the last time anyone had mentioned Zexion around him, and she’d been acting normal. Not like she had any bad news to share. She always laughed when she had bad news. Roxas didn’t really get it.

Xigbar patted Roxas’ leg. “Rest up, I guess, Tiger. I’ve got work to do.”

Then he left.

Roxas opened his eyes, climbed into his wheelchair, and left his room, going farther into the Castle.  _ Someone _ was going to tell him what was going on.

~*~*~*~

Kairi bolted upright, breathing hard.

“Kairi?” Namine muttered.

“It’s nothing,” Kairi managed between gasps. “I’m fine.”

Yeah, she was fine. She shook her head, trying to chase away the afterimages of her nightmare.

It was just another nightmare.

Another nightmare about killing Zexion.

She’d had to, she told herself. That’s what he’d said, that she’d have to kill him to leave. Just because he hadn’t  _ wanted _ to say that didn't change the fact that he had.

This dream hadn’t been in the Castle That Never Was, but that wasn’t too strange. She’d had nightmares about killing Zexion in loads of places. She didn’t even know where all of them were.

There wasn’t anything strange or special about  _ that _ lab.

Really.

“You sure?” Riku asked.

“I’m fine,” Kairi said again, trying to sound like she meant it.

Yeah. She was fine.

Really.

~*~*~*~

Vanitas was in the hidden room that  _ his _ hidden room was hidden off of, and he was confused, and a little bit less than pleased.

The cold, hard feeling in his chest wasn’t coming from him, but that didn’t mean  _ he _ was happy to see the man lying on the floor of the room that was meant to be an extra layer of security between himself and everyone else in this world.

A hareraiser prodded at the man cautiously, and he groaned.

“Who are you?” Vanitas demanded.

The man sat up, rubbing his head. Then he looked down at himself, looked at his hands, looked around.

“Well?” Vanitas glared.

“I’m… alive,” The man said.

“I had  _ no idea _ ,” Vanitas deadpanned. “I didn’t ask  _ what _ you are, I asked  _ who _ you are.”

“Who are  _ you _ ?” The man countered. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Well, no,” Vanitas said. “ _ No one _ should be here. But I asked first, so who are you?”

The man looked at him, unamused. “You’re more of an eleven year old than I was the last time I was here.”

“I was born at age twelve,” Vanitas said. “This isn’t a surprise.  _ Who are you? _ ”

“I was raised here,” The man said. “Who are  _ you _ ?”

Vanitas’ breath caught as the pressure in his chest began to build. “Not now,” He muttered. “I’m in the middle of something.”

“What?” The man asked. “I didn’t quite--”

Vanitas didn’t hear the rest of the sentence.

~*~*~*~

“Xion?”

She was being held. Shaken, even.

“Xion, wake up.”

She groaned. Her head hurt, and she didn’t remember what was going on, and… 

And she hadn’t been with anyone when she’d last woken up. Well, she had, but he hadn’t been…

“Zexion?” She muttered.

“It’s, um, Ienzo.”

She groaned again, rubbing her head and trying to reorder her thoughts. Her stomach growled.

“Are you alright, Xion?”

“Just… hungry.” She opened her eyes. There was a fallen bag of food. “Please tell me that the food in there is still edible after a fall.”

“I don’t know,” Ienzo said. “I haven’t really looked into it. I just woke up a few minutes ago.”

“Hm,” Xion said. “So, you’ve met him, then.”

“Yeah.” Ienzo settled her against the strange machine that took up the center of the room and began to dig through through the bag of food. “Who was he?”

“Vanitas,” She said. “As for why we’re sharing the way we are… we don’t know. That’s what we’re trying to find out.”

“Here, this is edible,” Ienzo said.

“Thanks.”

They sat in silence while Xion ate.

“They can track you, you know,” Ienzo said.

“Hm?” Xion looked at him, confused by the sudden shift in topic.

“The Organization,” Ienzo said. “They can track you. You should move on, when you’re able. Where’s your chair?”

“Hidden,” Xion said. “With the books we’re borrowing.”

Ienzo nodded, vaguely. “None of the others who lost their hearts here were here when I woke up,” He said. “I guess they’re all still back there.”

“Guess so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [The death of Zexion](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422001/chapters/50093222)   
[The official announcement of Xion running off, and also a glimpse at what the deal is with Vanitas](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422001/chapters/50505038)
> 
> Xion! applause
> 
> I know Zexion's only been dead for like 8 chapters or something but I really love Ienzo. He's great. He's been emo his whole life. We can have a philosophical debate about whether or not him and Zexion are the same guy. Fun times all around.


	29. So Maybe I Can Read Minds What Of It

Vanitas awoke again, dizzy, in the same room he’d been in before, with the same man who had been there when Xion had woken up. The man was reading. With a start, Vanitas recognized the books he’d collected.

“How much do you remember?” The man asked. “Xion wrote you a note.”

Vanitas looked around, and snatched the note off the ground upon locating it. He turned it over in his hands.

_ Vanitas _

_ Ienzo’s promised to help us out. He was Zexion at one point, but now he’s not. He seems to think that if I’m asleep, the Organization won’t be able to track us down. _

_ He’s very smart!! He promised to look through all the books and see if there’s anything he can pick up on. _

_ Also! Quit overusing your legs >:c They’re not  _ _ that _ _ much better off than mine and I get to keep all your aches when I wake up. Just admit the chair will help already _

_ Xion _

“Yeah, that’s her handwriting,” He muttered. “So, you’re Ienzo, huh?”

Ienzo nodded.

“Hm,” Vanitas said, and stood.

“I pulled the chair out for you,” Ienzo said.

“I can get by without it,” Vanitas said. “How many of those have you gotten through?”

“I just started a few minutes ago,” Ienzo said. “I’d appreciate some help, really.”

“Yeah?” Vanitas said. “Good luck with that.”

Ienzo snorted. “She was right, you  _ are _ insufferable.”

“She said that?” Vanitas crossed his arms and looked away from Ienzo. “Hmf. Rude.”

“Are you just going to stand there?” Ienzo asked.

“I’m gonna do what I want,” Vanitas said.

“Oh, I know,” Ienzo said. “But is what you want just standing there?”

Vanitas sat on a desk, which was covered in dust and discarded papers from before the whole place had been emptied out. “Didn’t there used to be a kid here named Ienzo?” He asked.

Ienzo nodded. “I was a child when I left this place, yes.”

Vanitas snorted mirthlessly. “Now you’re older than me. It shouldn’t work like that.”

“Well, it did,” Ienzo said.

Vanitas glared at him.

~*~*~*~

“Maybe it’ll help if you can tell me what it’s like being… inactive, in this case,” Ienzo said. “Do you remember anything?”

“Hmf,” Vanitas said.

“Look, do you want to know what’s going on, or not?” Ienzo asked, eyes narrowing in annoyance. “I don’t exactly have a direct line into what’s going on.”

“Fine,” Vanitas said. “It’s kind of like dreaming, I guess. We don’t remember much of what’s happened when we wake up, but we can give each other input, in a sense. Happy?”

“Very,” Ienzo said, turning back to his notes.

“I’m going to do a perimeter check.” Vanitas slid off the desk and went for the door.

“Take the chair,” Ienzo said without looking up.

“You’re not the boss of me.”

“No, but you might need it.”

“Won’t.”

“Might.”

Vanitas left the room and sighed. Yeah, his legs were going to give him hell over the walk, but how else was he supposed to think? Sitting down? That didn’t work. Just a quick lap around the area surrounding the lab, then he’d sit down.

He got to walking.

Soon after, though, he had to stop, because he heard someone grumbling. Carefully, he pressed himself against the wall and inched towards the approaching corner. Surely, the restoration committee hadn’t  _ actually gotten _ to this part, right?

“Seriously,” The voice groaned. “Can’t they send someone whose job this actually is? Like, I don’t know, Axel? Whose job this is?”

Xion’s heart went cold. It did that a lot, actually. She might have had anxiety problems, or maybe everything was just stressful in general. Or both.

There was no answer to the complaint, so Vanitas assumed the complainer was alone. He peered around the corner.

_ “Demyx.” _

“Oh, boy,” Vanitas muttered.

Demyx turned. “Who’s there?” He demanded. “I’m warning you, I’m armed!”

Vanitas sighed, and stepped out from around the corner. “Are you, though?”

“Yeah!” Demyx insisted. Then he paused. “Wait, why do you look like that other kid? That was with Santa and the duck and all that, I mean.”

“Shenaniganery, largely,” Vanitas said. “What do you want from  _ here _ ?”

“Look, unless you’ve got a music room, this is strictly a business call,” Demyx said. “So stay out of my way, alright?”

“No,” Vanitas said.

Demyx sighed. “Look, kid--”

“I’m not a kid.”

Demyx raised an eyebrow. “Look, dude,” He tried again. “My job has nothing to do with you. Shove off.”

“And what  _ is _ your job, Demyx?”

Demyx froze.

“How do you know my name?”

Vanitas realized his mistake, and knew that he had two seconds to sell this man on an explanation that didn’t involve Xion. Unfortunately, her panic was contagious.

“I’m psychic,” He blurted out.

“Woah, really?” Demyx’s eyebrows nearly launched off his head. “No way, I didn’t know that was a thing!”

“Yeah,” Vanitas said. “I’m psychic.”

“What am I thinking right now?” Demyx asked.

“You’re, uh, thinking about how this is an effective test of my psychic skills,” Vanitas said.

“Oh, you’re good,” Demyx said. “That’s cool, maybe you can help me out.”

“Perhaps…?” Vanitas allowed.

There was a pause.

“So, uh…” Demyx said.

“I may definitely be able to read your mind,” Vanitas said. “But it’s, uh, see, polite to ask properly, you know?”

“Oh, yeah,” Demyx said. “One of my coworkers went missing, and the boss and his second in command think she’s around here somewhere. Can you help me find her?”

“Oh,” Vanitas said. “Yeah, um, she’s not here.”

“What?” Demyx groaned. “This sucks!”

“You, uh, just missed her,” Vanitas said. “I think she was heading to, um… Agrabah?”

“Oh, boy,” Demyx said. “I  _ hate _ sand. Thanks for the help.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Vanitas said. “Bye now.”

“Bye,” Demyx said, stepping through a dark corridor.

Vanitas waited until the corridor was closed to lean against the wall again and sit down. “Almost feel bad for him,” He snorted. “You’re a bad influence, Xion.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a lower paced chapter today, but it sets up a couple of things that happen later, including one of my favorite Demyx scenes.
> 
> Friday's going to be chapter 30! There's nothing particularly special about chapter 30, except for the aforementioned favorite Demyx scene, but still.


	30. Literally Every One Of These People Needs Therapy

“Peter?” Namine yelled. “Peter Pan? Hello?”

No response.

“Maybe he’s busy,” Kairi said. “He can’t do nothing  _ all _ day.”

“He might be fighting Captain Hook,” Riku agreed. “Or looking for treasure.”

“Let’s go looking,” Namine said.

The group got to looking. Eventually, they found themselves at a cave. It looked dark and somewhat foreboding inside.

“I don’t want to go in there,” Kairi and Namine said in unison.

“Let’s not, then,” Riku said.

They heard an indistinct yell from the depths of the cave, and looked at each other.

“Is today a self preservation day, or a hero day?” Namine asked.

Kairi sighed, summoning her keyblade. “I think it’s gonna be a hero day.”

The three of them rushed into the cave, following the sounds of more indistinct yelling.

~*~*~*~

“So,” Xigbar said. “You went to Agrabah because ‘a psychic’ told you to?”

“He said she’d gone there!” Demyx protested.

“And you believed him?” Saix raised an eyebrow.

“He was psychic,” Demyx said. “He proved it and everything.”

“Did he, though?” Xigbar asked.

“What psychic would even  _ be _ there?” Saix crossed his arms.

“I don’t know,” Xigbar said. “Maybe Merlin.”

“I don’t know who that is,” Saix said.

“Me neither,” Demyx said.

“This isn’t about you,” Xigbar and Saix snapped.

“Oh,” Demyx said. “Can I go, then?”

“No.”

Demyx bit his lip. Seriously, he’d actually put in  _ extra _ work for once, instead of just coming back to report right away, and  _ this _ was his reward? Sheesh, no wonder he was so lazy.

He thought back on that. Actually, why  _ had _ he put in that extra work in the first place? He  _ never _ put in extra work. That was his whole  _ thing _ . What was so special about looking for Xion? It was just another mission. He was a Nobody. He couldn’t be  _ concerned _ for the kid.

That was just ridiculous. He  _ wasn’t _ concerned for Xion. He  _ wasn’t _ mourning Zexion. They were Nobodies.  _ He _ was a Nobody. None of them were supposed to exist, and he  _ didn’t have any feelings about that. _

Xigbar gave him a look. On a regular human, Demyx figured, it might have meant something. But on Xigbar, it was just a look.

“Look,” Xigbar said, turning to Saix. “Way I see it, he  _ tried _ , which is better than we normally get out of him. We can worry about this ‘psychic’ later. I say we call it quits for now.”

Saix scoffed. Still, he waved his hand in a ‘whatever’ gesture and left the room.

“Get some rest,” Xigbar said to Demyx. “And dry your eyes.”

“Whatever, old man,” Demyx muttered.

~*~*~*~

“Sheesh,” Peter said. “You don’t have to yell, I’m right here.”

“That,” Axel said, “Would happen to be the issue.”

“I don’t get it.”

“No.” Axel’s eye twitched. “No, you don’t. Listen, I have a job to do, so--”

Further conversation was cut off by the sound of approaching footsteps as well as what sounded like a giant, metal spider.

“What’s that?” Peter asked.

It was not, in fact, a giant metal spider chasing some hapless individuals into a weird and funky cave. It was Namine following Riku and Kairi, who had taken the lead by virtue of being armed with actual weaponry, as opposed to, say, memory magic and a legged chair.

“Oh,” Axel said. “This is pretty much exactly what I did  _ not _ want to happen, as it turns out.”

“You!” Kairi spat.

“Yeah,” Axel said. “Uh, hi. I don’t suppose that the beating I’m about to receive could be nonlethal, could it?”

“If you don’t try to kidnap anybody,” Riku said. “There doesn’t have to be a beating.”

“You know,” Axel said. “That’s a very reasonable proposition. If I were acting on my own interests, rather than those of my… employer, shall we call him? I would most definitely take you up on that.”

“But you are not,” Namine said.

“That is true.” Axel nodded. “It’s really quite unfortunate, in my opinion.”

“Truly,” Kairi said, coolly.

“Yeah,” Axel said. “So, how about we get this out of the way so I can go report my failure accordingly.”

Kairi’s stance shifted into one that was more prepared for some serious attacking, but her voice was almost amused. Almost. “I thought you said you couldn’t guarantee any incompetence when recapturing me.”

“Oh, I can’t,” Axel said. “I am just really not jazzed about going one on three, you see, especially when you are clearly very angry at me specifically and probably have a lot of personal issues to work through, over all.”

“Oh, shut up,” Kairi said. “I don’t need you to psychoanalyze me.”

“Great,” Axel said. “ _ I _ don’t need  _ you _ to send me to whatever corner of nonexistent hell Zexion currently resides in.”

Kairi stiffened.

Riku charged.

~*~*~*~

“And this is Ventus,” Aqua said. “Master Yen Sid says his heart is hanging out with your Nobody somewhere.”

“Oh, so I  _ do _ have one of those,” Sora said. “I was wondering.”

“Yeah,” Aqua said, sitting down on Ventus’ bed next to his body.

Sora looked at Ventus. “He… looks a lot like Roxas.”

“Oh, you’ve met Roxas?” Aqua said brightly. “I haven’t. Apparently he was with Riku and Namine and Mickey for a while, but this ‘Organization XIII’ dragged him back.”

“Oh,” Sora said. “Yeah, he was with the Organization when I saw him. I don’t know what side of that that would have been on, though.”

Aqua sighed. “Either way, he’s probably with them now. And without him, we don’t have Ventus’ heart, either.”

“There’s a lot to unpack with that,” Sora said. “But that can wait for now.”

Aqua nodded, ruffling Ventus’ hair before brushing it off of his face. “I miss him,” She said. “Terra, too.”

“Mm,” Sora said.

The two of them were quiet for a while.

“Hey, Aqua?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you know anybody named Vanitas?”

Aqua stiffened. “Where is he?” She asked. “He’s not  _ following _ you, is he?”

“Uh, no--” Sora said.

“Sora,” Aqua said. She was looking him straight in the eyes, her face dead serious. Sora’s eyes darted around, desperate for release from the situation. “Vanitas is  _ very _ dangerous. He is the manifestation of all the darkness in the heart of an abused twelve year old whose only obstacle between himself and entering an emo phase to cope was the fact that his abuser was trying to pressure him into one. He commands an army of monsters created from pure, negative emotion. You need to stay away from him.”

“Uh-- Uh, right,” Sora managed.

“Where is he?”

“I don’t know,” Sora said. “Last time I saw him, he said he was going to try to find a library.”

“A library…?” Aqua mused. “That doesn’t sound like him.”

“He seemed… confused, more than anything,” Sora said. “Maybe once he gets his bearings, he’ll be an actual threat, but he was mostly just trying to keep out from underfoot and figure things out at Disney Castle--”

“He was at Disney Castle?” Aqua leaned forward and grabbed Sora’s shoulders. “Is Minnie okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine!” Sora assured her. “She’s just fine, please let go of me.”

“Right, sorry.” Aqua released his shoulders and sat back, looking down at Ventus. Almost distractedly, she pulled a headband from her pocket and used it to push his hair back, leaving it when she took her hands away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My class today got cancelled, but I didn't get the email about it. Neither did one my other classmates, so we spent a couple of minutes trying to figure out what was going on until she got a text back explaining that class was cancelled. Fun times all around, obviously.


	31. Larxene May Be Mean But At Least It Makes Her Predictable

“Larxene!” Roxas careened around a corner. “People have been implying really unsettling things about the current state of Zexion and I need you distress me with the details!”

Larxene turned away from her conversation with Marluxia, eyes lighting up. “I’d love to!” She said brightly.

“It’ll be more distressing for him if he doesn’t know,” Marluxia said. “Can we finish this conversation?”

“You can do double distress duty if you  _ do _ tell me,” Roxas said. “Because Marluxia will be upset if you don’t finish your conversation right now.”

Larxene was obviously torn; more distress for one person, or efficiently distressing two people with a single action?

Marluxia sighed. “You could  _ maximize _ efficiency by walking away right now.”

“But!” Roxas countered quickly. “If you tell me, I’ll confront someone of your choosing about not telling me earlier.”

“It’s a deal!” Larxene beamed. “Zexion’s dead! Whine to Xigbar about it!”

“Boom!” Roxas said. Then he processed the information. “Wait, what?”

Marluxia sighed. “Zexion was terminated the night of Kairi’s escape,” He said. “It’s likely that she took him out during her prison break.”

“Oh,” Roxas said, voice very small.

“A deal’s a deal,” Larxene said. “Let’s go bother Xigbar.” She grabbed the handles on the back of Roxas’ chair and steered him away. “By, Lulu!”

“Larxene--” Roxas and Marluxia tried to say. While they spoke at the same time, they had two very different reasons.

“Wheeeee!” Larxene said, pushing Roxas ahead of her to go find Xigbar at a truly unsafe speed.

Marluxia considered his options, groaned, and ran after them. “Larxene if you break him they’ll kill us both!”

“Shut up, you big baby!” Larxene yelled back him. “You’re just mad he won!”

“That is  _ so _ not the issue!”

~*~*~*~

“I’m back,” Axel said, very obviously beaten up. “Am I just making my report to you, or is it the whole council of three?”

“Nobody calls it that,” Saix said. “But yes, Lord Xemnas and Xigbar did want to be involved in your debriefing. Where is Kairi?”

“Ah,” Axel said. “You see, the thing is--”

“You  _ failed _ ?”

“Kairi,” Axel said, trying to ignore whatever was going on in the background noise of the castle. “Has a keyblade. She is with Riku, who also has a sword, and Namine, who has magic powers and also a new chair that has legs which are very good at stepping on my feet.”

Saix pinched the bridge of his nose. “Go to the… whatever it is we call the room with all the chairs and wait for me to bring Xigbar and our master.”

“Right,” Axel said, and walked away.

He didn’t get very far before Larxene, bearing Roxas before her, appeared from around a corner like a stolen ambulance, and the two of them crashed into him, sending the whole lot of them sprawling across various portions of the floor.

It turned out that what had been going on in the background was screaming. The good news about that was that the screaming had now stopped. The bad news, however, was that it had stopped because Roxas, its source, was lying on the floor multiple yards away from his wheelchair, clutching his head and groaning.

“Do I even  _ want _ to know?” Saix sighed.

“Hi Saix!” Larxene said, pushing herself upright. “Oh, hey, Roxas! Let’s bother Saix about it, too!”

“About  _ what _ ?” Saix managed through clenched teeth.

“In a minute…” Roxas groaned. “My head hurts.”

“Roxas!” Axel said. “Are you okay?”

Roxas’ eyes snapped open. “Axel?”

“Hey, buddy,” Axel said, moving within hair ruffling range in order to complete the suggested action. “Been a bit.”

Roxas grabbed Axel and pressed himself into the man’s stomach. “You’re back.”

“Roxas,” Larxene said. “We had a deal.”

“You sent him flying through the air on impact,” Saix said. “I don’t think you have a deal anymore.”

“No, we have a deal,” Larxene said. “Do you know where Xigbar is? We need to bother him severely.”

“No, you don’t,” Saix said.

“Yeah, we do, because that was our deal,” Larxene said. “Roxas, let’s goooo! You’ve gotta do your weird sad looking eyes at Xigbar so his brain tricks him into thinking he feels bad.”

“Right,” Roxas said. “I  _ did _ promise, didn’t I?”

“Yeah!” Larxene said. “So let’s go, alright?”

“Right,” Roxas said again.

“Roxas,” Axel said. “What did Larxene do that you promised to help her upset Xigbar for?”

Larxene, sensing what was coming next, grinned and clapped her hands a little as Roxas pulled away from Axel, looking between him and Saix.

“Oh, no,” Saix muttered.

“How come no one told me Zexion was dead?” Roxas asked, eyes wide and sad and very obviously betrayed.

Saix and Axel did not look at Roxas. They did not look at each other. They especially did not look at Larxene.

This turned out to be a bad idea, because Larxene took the opportunity to throw Roxas over her shoulder and run out of the room.

Moments later, Marluxia appeared, observed the scene, and swore.

“Language,” Saix said.

“Sorry,” Marluxia said. “I tried to tell her not to.”

“And we all know how effective  _ that _ is,” Axel sighed, picking up Roxas’ discarded wheelchair. “I’ll find Xigbar, I guess.”

“Do that,” Saix said.

~*~*~*~

“I didn’t like that,” Namine said blithely. “It’s a real shame he’s been ordered to kidnap you, Kairi, because that meant we had to fight him. He let me escape Castle Oblivion. Fighting him wasn’t particularly on my bucket list.”

“It was rather cathartic for me, though,” Kairi said.

“Yeah,” Namine said. “Fair enough.”

“Is that all he does?” Riku asked. “Is  _ all _ he does go and get people?”

“No,” Kairi and Namine said at the same time.

“No?” Riku raised an eyebrow.

“Sometimes he does murder,” Kairi said.

“Mm,” Riku said. “Really glad not to have been murdered, then.”

“Aren’t we all?” Namine said cheerfully. “Anyways, where to next? Sora doesn’t seem to be here.”

“I’ve been meaning to check on the people at the Hollow Bastion.” Riku said. “Maybe we can go there?”

“That sounds fun,” Namine said brightly.

“Eh…” Kairi said. “Alright, I guess…”

“Do you want us to drop you off back at the tower?” Riku asked. “You don’t have to come to the Hollow Bastion if you don’t want to.”

“No,” Kairi said. “It’ll be good for me to replace some of my negative mental associations there.”

“Alright!” Namine said. “Let’s go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Larxene is honestly one of my favorite characters. She's so fun to write! Also, I know they don't have much overlap in canon, but Larxene is one of the only people who ever considers keeping Roxas in the loop about anything. Even if she ends up deciding against telling him about her coup plans because of his good boy badge, I respect her considering it. Seriously, she's got a better track record on that than Axel. I could go on with my character analysis, but that might be a little bit much (;^.^)
> 
> Also, shoutout to my sister and totally awesome beta reader, TammyReadsFics! Without her, there would be waaaaaayy more mistakes here.


	32. You Have A Right To Have A Nice Lunch With Your Friends For Once In Your Life

“Well,” Sora said. “This has been quite fun and interesting.”

“Thank you,” Aqua said.

Yen Sid stood stoically nearby and nodded.

“Still, though, I’d like to get back to looking for Riku,” Sora continued. “So I’m probably going to ask the Cheshire Cat and Santa for more information, and then figure something else out from there.”

“Try and absorb Roxas while you’re on your search,” Yen Sid said.

“Okay, yes,” Sora said, mostly keeping the annoyance out of his voice. “I will make an effort to absorb someone else’s physical body, because it used to be mine, supposedly.”

Yen Sid nodded.

“Let’s go, Sora!” Donald said.

~*~*~*~

“This place has been fixed up pretty nice,” Kairi said.

“Yeah,” Riku said. “It’s so… full of life, now.”

“Full of light, really,” Namine said.

“Let’s check around town,” Kairi said. “Seems like the kind of place he’d be drawn to. Besides, he’s friends with some of the residents, right?”

“Right,” Riku said. “Yeah, let’s check around town.”

~*~*~*~

“Hi, again,” Sora said to the Cheshire Cat. “Any news?”

“Oh, plenty,” The Cat said. “Some of it even new.”

Sora gave him a disappointed look.

“So,” Donald said, sternly. “Where’s Riku?”

“And Kairi,” Goofy added. “We need to find her, too.”

Sora nodded.

“Oh, that  _ is _ the question,” The Cat said. “I do know where I suggested they go, but did they go, indeed?”

“Where did you send them?” Sora crossed his arms.

“To where the other half of the other half might be,” The Cat said. “To the mirror image of the mirror images. To where the silver shell which leads your own found his first footing, hm?”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Sora said.

“Does, doesn’t. What’s the difference?” The Cat wiggled his fingers, only half of which were visible. “Were I you, would I rather find the man in the mirror? Would it make any difference?”

“Why do we do this again?” Sora sighed.

Donald and Goofy shrugged.

“You’ve quite the list ahead of you.” The Cat skipped along the air, miming checking stuff off on a piece of paper he didn’t have. “Your dearest friends, the filling shells, the double who holds your reflection… You might want to get it made.”

“Get what made?” Sora asked.

“Why, the list, of course!” The Cat’s head spun giddily. “And who better to make a list than the man who makes them all?”

Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked around at each other.

“... Santa?” Sora suggested.

The Cat grinned.

~*~*~*~

“I’m getting more snacks,” Vanitas said.

“When was the last time you did that, exactly?” Ienzo asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Keeping track of time is for losers,” Vanitas said. “We’re criminally low on edible materials, unless we want to start eating paper.”

“Don’t even joke,” Ienzo hissed, gathering the books to himself.

“Whatever,” Vanitas said. “Later.”

“Take the chair,” Ienzo said.

“There are plenty of places to sit in town, I’ll be fine.” Vanitas waved his hand dismissively as he moved to the exit.

“Mm, are there, though?”

“Shut up.”

~*~*~*~

“I do like that there are ramps in town,” Namine said, rolling along next to Kairi and Riku. “That’s nice, at least, even if they’re a bit steep.”

“Yeah, they tried,” Riku said. “That’s better than a lot of places we’ve been.”

“True,” Kairi said.

“Let’s get something to eat while we’re here,” Namine said. “And actually hang around and enjoy it? I understand we’ve got a very clear goal in mind, but we do need to slow down every once in a while.”

“But--” Riku said.

“She’s right, Riku,” Kairi said. “If we go at 100% all the time, we’ll wear ourselves out, and we might walk right past Sora without even seeing him.”

Riku sighed and allowed the girls to lead him to a nearby, up and coming restaurant. “What about the Heartless?” He protested vaguely, pointing at a small group of the creatures scuttling around nearby.

The three kids watched as lasers or something showed up and wrecked the Heartless.

“Riku,” Namine said. “If you even look at the Heartless while we’re lunching, I will stomp on your feet with my chair.”

Riku was forced to accept that as the end of that discussion.

~*~*~*~

“Larxene, where did you leave his chair?” Xigbar asked without looking up from his book as Larxene and Roxas entered the room at top speed.

“Eh, Axel’ll bring it,” Larxene said, dropping Roxas on the couch next to Xigbar. “Okay, little man. Do your thing.”

“Uh,” Roxas said, somewhat upside down and face first in a cushion.

“Whatever it is she asked you to do will almost certainly get you in trouble,” Xigbar said.

“I just…” Roxas said. “I just, well, had a question.”

“Did you, now?” Xigbar still didn’t look up.

Roxas attempted to shift into a more comfortable position, but it didn’t work very well.

Xigbar grabbed him by the collar of his coat and sat him upright. “What was it, then?”

“Why didn’t you tell me Zexion was dead?” Roxas drew on all his experience with those big, sad eyes, and maybe even some of Ventus’ experience, too.

Xigbar still didn’t look at him. In fact, Roxas got the feeling that Xigbar was looking at him even less. “You didn’t ask,” He said stiffly.

Larxene, unsatisfied by the current course of events, snatched at Xigbar’s book. “What are you reading?” She demanded.

Xigbar jerked the book out of her reach. “That’s none of your concern,” He said.

Roxas craned his neck to catch a glimpse of the pages. “‘After temporarily incapacitating Luxu, the hero will advance further into--’”

Xigbar snapped the book shut.

“Luxu?” Larxene asked, draping herself over Xigbar’s back and reaching over him towards the book, which he was holding as far away from both of them as possible. “What’s  _ that _ about, then?”

“It’s-- Shut up,” Xigbar said. “This is a fantasy novel written in future tense. I picked it up ages ago.”

“Is it?” Larxene gasped. “Is it naughty? Are you reading naughty fanfic, Xigbar?”

“Wh-- No!” Xigbar stood, which had the side effect of sending Larxene toppling forward into the couch cushions.

“Hi,” Roxas said.

She flipped him off.

Xigbar walked briskly from the room.

A few seconds later, Axel and Marluxia arrived.

“I assume Xigbar  _ was _ here, then,” Marluxia said.

“Yeah,” Roxas said.

Axel sighed. “Here’s your chair,” He said. “I’d love to stick around, but I promised Saix I’d get him.”

“Sounds like a you problem,” Larxene said, muffled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I remember that Xehanort and Eraqus trained with Yen Sid, and I wonder if Nomura has conceptualized a young Yen Sid as well. Would he still have that same expression? This is not a relevant thought, but I'm thinking it now.
> 
> The part of my brain that wants to quote things as accurately as possible and the part of my brain that keeps everyone in character had a fight over Namine's John Mulaney reference. The latter eventually won out, because I don't think Namine realizes she's paraphrasing from a comedy bit. Larxene probably watched some of it at Castle Oblivion because she was bored.
> 
> John Mulaney was in the keyblade war /j


	33. Saix Isn't Paid Enough To Deal With This Band Of Hooligans (Part 5)

Vanitas had managed to purchase most of the snacks on his mental list when Xion’s heart started acting up. He could hardly talk her down in a public place, so he turned to go somewhere quieter.

Three people were there, staring at him in confusion.

“Uh…” He said, intellectually.

The three people across from him glanced at each other.

“Are you  _ sure _ ?” The blonde asked.

“No, but it’s best to check,” The boy said.

“I think he can hear you,” The brunette said.

“Yeah, he can,” Vanitas said. “I take it I’m getting dragged into this conversation whether I want to be or not, huh?”

“Perhaps,” The blonde said.

“Great,” Vanitas said. “Then I can go somewhere else, and you’ll follow me and still tell me what’s going on.”

“Hey,” The boy said, offended.

Vanitas turned and started to walk away, out of the town market of what was presently the Hollow Bastion.

The other three followed.

“So,” He said when they were suitably away from the crowds and he’d found somewhere to sit. “Spill it, then. What do you want?”

“He’s  _ not _ Sora,” The blonde said. “In  _ any _ capacity.”

“No,” Vanitas said. “I’m not. How do  _ you _ know him?”

“How do  _ you _ ?” The boy countered. “Kairi and I have known him since we were kids.”

“I don’t really  _ know _ him,” The blonde said. “But he  _ is _ directly responsible for my creation.”

“Oh, good for you,” Vanitas said. “You wouldn’t be the first person I’ve met like that.”

“Great,” Said the brunette, who Vanitas would assume was Kairi unless someone corrected him. “Do you know where Sora is? Or any of those other people like Namine you mentioned?”

“Hm,” Vanitas shrugged. “Do I?”

“He’s worse than the Cat,” The boy groaned.

“Give him time, Riku,” The blonde (Namine?) said.

“Alright,” Kairi said. “How do you know Sora?”

“Do you want the short version, the slightly longer version, or the version we’re desperately compiling the facts on in an effort to glean even the slightest understanding of?” Vanitas leaned back.

“Can we go with the short version?” Namine asked.

“Shenanigans,” Vanitas said.

Kairi, Riku, and Namine looked at each other.

“Slightly longer version?” Kairi suggested.

“He’s my brother.”

More disconcerted looks.

“How?” Riku asked.

“Oh, that’d be the third version of the explanation I mentioned,” Vanitas said.

“Abridge it,” Riku said.

“Awfully demanding, aren’t you?” Vanitas sighed. “Whatever. Somehow, our hearts got connected. We ended up looking about the same. Funky.” He did a little hand motion to accentuate the whole thing.

“And that makes you brothers?” Riku looked at Kairi and Namine, trying to pull some support.

Vanitas looked away from the three of them. “Xion’s idea,” He said.

“... Xion?” Riku said slowly. He and Namine looked at each other with a dawning horror, while Kairi looked between them in confusion.

“Yeah,” Vanitas said. “She didn’t remember anything from before she was part of the Organization, so she was really insistent about calling us all a family.”

“I’m gonna need a bit more on all of this,” Kairi said.

~*~*~*~

“So, that’s about what happened,” Axel said. “I’m good, but those keyblades do a lot of damage.”

“I see,” Xemnas said. “Then there is nothing to do for it. Return to your regular duties.”

Then the leader of the Organization vanished in a pillar of darkness.

“You go on, too, Axel,” Xigbar said. “Demyx is in Christmas Town. Make sure he’s doing his job, will you?”

Axel vanished without a word.

“I take it there’s something you wish to discuss,” Saix said.

“Yeah,” Xigbar said. “I’ve been thinking on it, you see. You’re obviously less than pleased about how good of friends Roxas and Axel are.”

“If you’re suggesting an attempt to nudge Roxas more towards Larxene and Marluxia, I doubt it will be effective,” Saix said. “Besides, I thought we were trying to keep the traitor cell from gaining influence.”

“He’s a good boy, Saix,” Xigbar said. “Besides, he can’t lie for shit. All I’m  _ really _ suggesting is that we put Larxene and Marluxia on all his missions for a good while after we start letting him out again.”

“They’ll be less than pleased with  _ that _ ,” Saix said, in a tone that suggested that he wasn’t shutting down the idea in the slightest.

“Right?” Xigbar said. “Look, I know the boss leaves the minute details up to you, and it’s not like we could have gotten Axel out of here  _ before _ he left.”

“Right,” Saix said. “I’ll… take your suggestion into account.”

~*~*~*~

The Cheshire Cat faded, and Sora sighed. “So, before we head off to Santa, do we want to consider the possibility of Riku being around here somewhere, or do we want to dismiss that outright?”

“I think if he were here, the Cat would have said,” Goofy said.

“Would we have been able to tell?” Donald countered.

“He is rather intentionally opaque.”

Xemnas’ voice startled the three of them out of their discussion.

“Xemnas!” Sora said cheerfully.

“Sora,” Xemnas said. “I take it your search is progressing glacially as ever.”

“Yeah,” Sora sighed. “Oh, hey, did you find anything out about Vanitas?”

“No,” Xemnas said. “Have you?”

“Yeah, actually,” Sora said. “Still don’t know why he looks like me, though.”

“What…  _ is _ he, then, if you don’t mind the question?” Xemnas asked.

“The emo phase that a twelve year old named Ventus never had,” Sora said. “Also, apparently a lot more of a threat than I first thought, but maybe he just needs some friends.”

Xemnas found himself biting back a laugh.

“Hey,” Sora said, mostly in good faith. “Why are you laughing at me?”

“My apologies,” Xemnas said. “That was just… such a very  _ you _ thing to say.”

“Hey!” Sora laughed, batting at Xemnas’ arm. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, no,” Xemnas deadpanned, slowly sinking to his knees. “I’ve been taken down by the keyblade’s chosen hero. I am dead and also deceased.”

“Xemnas!” Sora laughed. “Stop that!”

“No, it’s too late for me,” Xemnas said. “I’ll never recover.”

“Xemnas,” Sora said again, laughter dying down. “Seriously.”

Xemnas stood and ruffled Sora’s hair. “Should have thought about that before striking me down,” He said. “Now I’m a ghost.”

“You started it,” Sora said.

“Oh, I suppose,” Xemnas allowed.

“You ‘suppose’,” Sora said. “And I ‘suppose’ you forgot to ask about getting me a coat.”

Up in a tree, out of the immediate line of sight of the events below, the Cheshire Cat Watched. Being a cat, he was quite good at watching. Being a Cat, with a capital ‘C’ sitting at the front of both the proper words in his title, he was quite good at Watching, as capital letters tended to draw more of their ilk from wherever letters indeed came from.

So, not only did he Watch, he Mused as well. “Perhaps things are less sure than they were Supposed to be,” Mused the Cat. “Perhaps, all those years, and tens of years, and hundreds of years ago, it was only Supposed at all.”

No one heard his Musing, of course. Proper Musing is never heard, just as proper Watching is never seen.

So the Cat Mused as he Watched, and Watched as he Mused.

In truth, it was probably not the only time he’d seen a future besides the one he’d heard others told to expect work to assert itself. It was simply the first time he’d ever Supposed it had any real chance of succeeding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Kairi meets Xion, but does not catch her name](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422001/chapters/49915715)   
[Riku, Namine, and Mickey find out Sora has a replica, but not anything about who that is](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422001/chapters/48932456)   
[Riku, Namine, and Mickey meet Xion and find out she's in the Organization, but do not find out she is a replica](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422001/chapters/49205534)   
[What Xion and Vanitas have been up to](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422001/chapters/50752462)
> 
> This chapter has one of my favorite interactions between Sora and Xemnas, if I'm honest. Fatherhood UNIT


	34. Demyx Is In This Chapter And He Completely Threw The Author For A Loop By Vaguely Suggesting A Backstory

“Hey, Larxene?” Roxas asked.

“What?” She said.

She was still upside down on the couch, but in a more controlled position; facing outwards, head more towards the floor, and legs crossed over each other as she examined her glove. Marluxia stood nearby, leaning on one of the other couches.

“How long have you been in the Organization?”

She laughed. “Why the hell do you want to know that?”

Roxas considered that. “Because you’re number twelve.”

Larxene, in turn, considered. “Makes sense,” She decided. “I’m not gonna tell, though.”

“Larxene joined shortly after I did,” Marluxia said. “We’ve been in the Organization for about three and a half years.”

“Lulu, I’m gonna throw something at you,” Larxene growled.

“You can dish it out, but you can’t take it, huh?” He deadpanned.

Roxas swiftly wheeled out of the way as Larxene moved. In one motion, her feet hit the floor, rendering her upright, as she launched the couch she’d been on through the air.

Marluxia, for his part, was not hit by her couch, as he’d ducked behind his own, which he sent skidding across the floor towards her. She jumped over it, flying towards him.

“Do I even want to know?” Axel sighed.

“Oh, is your meeting over?” Roxas said brightly.

“Yeah,” Axel said. “Why are they…?”

“She warned him,” Roxas shrugged. “Besides, they seem to be enjoying it.”

“Much as we can enjoy anything, right?” Axel sighed. “Well, I’m not cleaning up after them.”

“Hey!” Larxene said. “Axel! I’ll fight you over that!”

“No,” Axel said.

“If you don’t, I’ll trash  _ your _ room!” She declared.

Axel froze. Then, he grinned. “Oh, is that how it is?”

Axel and Roxas entered the fray.

~*~*~*~

“This is a lot to take in,” Kairi said. “Can I talk to Xion?”

“No,” Vanitas said.

“... Why not?”

“Because.” Vanitas stood. “Anyways, I should get going. I don’t know how long’s too long to be out and about right now.”

“We’ll come with you,” Riku said.

“Whatever,” Vanitas said. “Just don’t interrupt the guy I subcontracted all of my reading to.”

“You what?” Namine asked.

“Hey.” Vanitas shrugged. “He’s the one who actually gets it.”

“What’s he reading?” Kairi asked.

“Science notes,” Vanitas said. “Apparently that castle used to be full of scientists, and they were all, like, raising a kid to do science, or something.”

“And you’re staying  _ in _ the castle,” Riku said.

“Yeah,” Vanitas said. “Most of it’s pretty out of the way, which suits me just fine.”

“Why?” Namine asked.

“Here.” He summoned a flood and placed it on her lap.

“Cute!” She declared.

“Yeah, well, we seem to be the only people who think so,” Vanitas said. “So, castle.”

“It looks kind of like a Heartless,” Riku said.

“I’m offended, personally,” Vanitas said. “How dare you. Anyways, if you want to come, come. If you don’t, don’t.” He walked away, and the flood on Namine’s lap hopped off and followed him, melting back into his shadow.

Riku, Namine, and Kairi looked at each other, and followed.

~*~*~*~

“Santa time,” Sora said to himself, very quietly, as he, Donald, and Goofy entered Christmas town.

“I wonder where Riku’s going to be this time,” Donald muttered.

“Be nice,” Goofy whispered back to him.

Sora, for his part, attempted to ignore them. Riku was alive, and moving around places at a remarkable speed. That was a good thing, right? That he was able to move around like that? Or maybe it meant someone was chasing him, but Sora didn’t want to think about that.

“Uh, Sora?”

“Yeah, Donald?”

“You’re moving pretty slowly, are you okay?”

With a start, Sora realized Donald was right. He  _ was _ moving slowly.

“Oh, uh, it’s nothing,” Sora said. “Just the snow. Makes it difficult.”

“Alright,” Donald said, less than convinced.

The trio made it to the bottom of the hill, and were going to go further into town when they noticed a spot of black in some of the bushes.

“That hardly seems holiday appropriate,” Sora said.

The three approached cautiously.

The guy who’d been in Santa’s workshop the first time Sora, Donald, and Goofy had visited was lying there, snoring softly and half buried in the holiday snow.

“Hey!” Sora said.

“Gah!” The guy sat up. “I’m working, honest!”

There was a pause, and then he looked back to see who had actually woken him up. “Oh,” He said, relaxing. “It’s you.”

“Why are you… glad to see me?” Sora asked. “You broke into Santa’s workshop! You’re a member of Organization XIII!”

“Yeah,” The guy said. “But  _ you’re _ not. So you aren’t gonna try to make me do stuff.”

Sora’s eyes narrowed. “I might try to make you fight,” He said.

“Ugh, not  _ combat _ .” The man flopped back into the snow. “That’s the  _ worst _ .”

There was a pause while Sora considered his options.

Finally, he spoke. “You don’t seem to like your job that much.”

“I don’t like working.”

“So why don’t you quit?”

“Ah,” The guy said. “See, there’s the thing, is that being alive and all this  _ is _ something I like.”

“They kill you if you quit?”

“Yeah.”

“So why’d you join in the first place?”

“Well, what were my other options,  _ really _ ?” The guy threw his arm over his face. “I had forgotten my name, I wasn’t supposed to exist, and I didn’t feel anything about that. The Organization gave me a name, a place to stay, and something to look forward to.”

“Oh,” Sora said. “Hey, so what  _ is _ your name, anyhow?”

“Demyx,” Demyx said. “And you’re Sora, Donald, and Goofy.”

“Yeah,” Sora said.

“Are we done now?” Demyx asked. “Can I go back to sleep?”

“How long have you been in the Organization?” Sora asked.

Demyx sighed. “I haven’t been counting, okay? That’s not the important part. Leave me alone. Go kill some Heartless or whatever it is you do in your spare time.”

“What are you supposed to be doing?” Sora pushed.

“Something that makes no sense,” Demyx said. “Hey, look, I know you’re not in the Organization and you’re, like, actively opposed to all we do, and stuff, but if I give you a list of names, could you ask Santa where they are?”

“No,” Sora said. “Maybe you could quit. Run off somewhere they can’t find you.”

“That won’t work,” Demyx said. “They always find traitors in the end. I remember the original number eleven…”

“‘Original’ number eleven?”

“His name was Xepherem,” Demyx said. “I forget why he ran off. I just remember Axel bringing back his coat. Some amount of time later, we had a new number eleven.”

“That’s messed up,” Sora said.

“Sora,” Donald said. “We had a goal in mind.”

“Right!” Sora said. “Bye, Demyx. Hey, maybe we’ll see each other again sometime.”

Sora, Donald, and Goofy left.

“What a weird kid,” Demyx muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Demyx isn't going to be *that* important in this story. I don't really have a backstory in mind for him.  
Demyx: What about my missing presumed dead ex boyfriend who betrayed the Organization  
Me: your WHAT
> 
> Also, buff lady rights. @Nomura give Larxene and Aqua the muscles they deserve


	35. Vexen Is The Closest Thing That The Organization Has To A Doctor And Kairi Has Amnesia

“Working hard, are we?”

Demyx sat bolt upright. “Axel!” He said.

“Demyx,” Axel said. “How long have you been sleeping here, exactly?”

If they’d been human, Demyx would have thought Axel sounded amused. If they’d been human, Demyx would have taken that tone as a  _ good _ sign.

“I was just, see, waiting for everyone  _ else _ to turn in,” Demyx said hastily. “Then once the workshop was unguarded, I could sneak in and steal the lists like Saix said.”

“Stealing the lists, huh?” Axel said. “Interesting mission. I wonder what we’re gonna do with those.”

“It’s not our job to wonder that,” Demyx said, ignoring his own pressing curiosity. “Ergo, I will not.”

“You say that as if you don’t spend every hour of the day actively avoiding your job.” Axel sat down next to him.

“Okay, well,” Demyx said. “Hey, what happened to you? You look pretty beat up.”

Axel shrugged. “I got beat up by a keyblade wielder, someone whose keyblade is approximately 2 inches from properly manifesting, and a witch in a legged chair.”

“Larxene has a legged chair now?”

“I said a  _ witch _ , Demyx,” Axel said.

“Oh,” Demyx said. “Yeah, I was wondering why Larxene would need a chair with legs.”

“She doesn’t,” Axel said brightly. “Although, sparring against her and Marluxia after my debrief didn’t do me any favors, either.”

“No,” Demyx said. “Why’d you all spar, that’s weird.”

“She’s  _ Larxene _ .”

“She threatened you.”

“Duh.”

Silence.

“Why are you out here?” Demyx asked.

“Xigbar wanted me to make sure you were working.”

Demyx’s mind flashed to Xepherem. “Yup,” He said. “Definitely working.”

“That’s good,” Axel said.

Another silence.

“Hey, Demyx?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you remember your original name?”

“No, do you?”

“Saix never lets me forget,” Axel laughed. “Sometimes, he still calls me it, actually. If he thinks I’m going soft.”

“Mm,” Demyx said. “Do you ever call him his?”

“Not to his face,” Axel said. “I think he’d mind it, a lot more than I do.”

Demyx wasn’t really sure how to respond to that. The whole situation was weird, really. He and Axel had never really talked much, and he couldn’t remember a single conversation they’d had since…

“I was just wondering, you know?” Axel said. “Since you and Luxord joined around the same time, I thought maybe you’d known each other, like Saix and I. Held onto something.”

“Were you and Saix… close?” Demyx asked. “Before you were Nobodies, I mean.”

Axel nodded. “We were best friends,” He said. “Sometimes, though… it feels like I hardly know him anymore.”

Demyx knew what Axel was looking for. Axel wanted him to say something about moving on, letting go of the past, and looking forward to the day they all got their new hearts out of Kingdom Hearts.

He knew Axel wanted him to say that, but he couldn’t. Not then. Not thinking about Xepherem.

“Looks like everyone’s leaving the workshop,” Axel said. “What do you say we do your job?”

“We need a plan,” Demyx said, quickly. “I’ll keep watch, to make sure none of the elves sneak up on you--”

“Classic Demyx,” Axel said. “ _ I’ll _ keep watch. It’s  _ your _ job.”

“Aw, man…” Demyx groaned.

~*~*~*~

“-- completely irresponsible--” Vexen muttered. It wasn’t like that was  _ all _ he was saying, but that was what Roxas caught as the man passed by him, picking up various materials and objects before examining them and putting them back down. “--without a doctor, I--”

Roxas looked longingly at his chair, stashed in the corner of the room. He didn’t know what a ‘concussion’ was, or why Vexen was so focused on the possibility of Roxas, personally, having acquired one. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to ask, either.

“Here,” Vexen declared, holding up a small object triumphantly before returning to stand in front of Roxas. It was a small tube, with glass on one of the ends. “Look at this.”

“Okay-- agh!” Roxas flinched as a bright light clicked on inside the tube. Flashlight, then. “What was that for?”

“Hold still,” Vexen snapped.

“Are you gonna shine a light in my eye again?” Roxas asked suspiciously.

“Yes,” Vexen said.

“Then I would prefer not to.”

“I wish we had a real doctor,” Vexen muttered, thoroughly vexed.

“Would a real doctor shine a flashlight directly into my eyeball?” Roxas asked.

“Yes,” Vexen said.

“Then I do not.”

“Look,” Vexen said. “The sooner I know whether or not you have a concussion, the sooner you can go.”

“What does that even mean?” Roxas asked. “What  _ is _ a concussion?”

“Specific type of head injury,” Vexen said.

“I only hit my head once today,” Roxas protested.

“That’s all it-- ‘today’?”

“... No.”

Vexen massaged his temples. “What do you hit your head  _ doing _ ?”

“Uh,” Roxas said. “Missions, mostly. One time I saw some kids in Twilight Town doing skateboard tricks and hit my head trying to copy one with my wheelchair, uh…”

“Don’t-- Roxas, I need you to promise me you won’t do skateboard tricks on your wheelchair,” Vexen said, looking very, very tired and frustrated for someone who supposedly felt nothing.

“Why?” Roxas asked. “It was fun, except for the part where I hit my head.”

“Because if you don’t hit your head, I won’t shine a flashlight into your eyes anymore,” Vexen said.

“Deal,” Roxas said. “Can I go?”

“I still need to check you from this time,” Vexen said.

“But--”

“Hold still and we’ll only have to do this once, Roxas,” Vexen said. “I’ll hold your head still by hand if I have to.”

~*~*~*~

“This place feels familiar,” Kairi muttered as she, Namine, and Riku followed Vanitas further into the castle. “Like, really familiar.”

“Like you brought Sora back from being a Heartless in a different part of this building?” Riku asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Like I’ve been to this hallway very specifically,” Kairi said. “Like I’ve been here a lot.”

“Well, we’re almost to the lab,” Vanitas said. “I’m surprised you’re all still actually following me. I’d think you’d have better stuff to do.”

“We do,” Riku said.

“I’m very interested in hearing about how you’re heart brothers with Sora,” Kairi said. “It’s really quite surprising.”

“Cool,” Vanitas said. Then he stopped and pushed a wall in, revealing a room. “We’ve got guests!” He called in.

“We’ve got  _ what _ ?” Another voice answered.

Kairi froze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vexen: why is this my job??  
Xemnas: who else am i going to make do this exactly??? the fucking sniper????? the assassin???????  
Vexen: fair enough
> 
> Riku: So if Vanitas is not Sora and does not know where Sora is why are we still talking to him? he is an asshole  
Namine: it's brother time


	36. I Was Going To Make A Joke Here But I Already Made It In The Chapter And I Can't Think Of Another One

“So, what’s going on again?” Sora asked.

“Santa got word that someone was going to try to steal the lists,” Jack said. “So, while he’s out delivering presents everywhere that it’s Christmas, he asked me to guard them.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to leave the lights on?” Goofy asked. “I mean, maybe if we do, whoever it is won’t try to steal the lists.”

“Yeah!” Donald said. “Stealing the lists from Santa, what a coward!”

“Shh!” Jack said. “If they hear you, we can’t ambush them.”

The group fell, while not silent, at least mostly quiet.

After some time, the door opened.

“Your turn,” Axel said.

“Ugh, I hate this,” Demyx groaned.

Sora’s blood boiled from his position behind a door between the entry room and another part of the workshop.

“You and me, both.” Axel’s laugh was mirthless. “Once we get our hearts and start properly existing, we’re gonna be naughty list material for sure.”

“I thought only kids were on the lists.” Demyx moved further into the room.

“Nope,” Axel said. “It’s everyone.”

“But doesn’t Santa only deliver toys to good little boys and girls?” Demyx countered. “So, it’d only be kids on the list.”

“I’m sorry,” Axel said. “I didn’t realize we were getting paid to fight over pointless details.”

“You’re getting  _ paid _ ?” Demyx asked.

“I get a stipend,” Axel said. “I spend most of it on ice cream. What, you’re not?”

“No,” Demyx said. “I want to get paid.”

“Then maybe you should work,” Axel said.

“Maybe I’d work better if I got paid,” Demyx grumbled. “Where are the lists even supposed to  _ be _ ?”

Sora had a terrible idea.

He rolled out from behind his concealing door frame and turned on the lights. “Santa takes them with him when he goes out delivering,” He said.

Demyx yelped, taking the opportunity to fall over.

“Sora,” Axel said.

“I’d insult you, except I don’t know any insults strong enough,” Sora said.

“You know?” Axel said. “That’s fair.”

There was a tense silence.

~*~*~*~

“Kairi?” Namine asked. “Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah,” Kairi said. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

She followed everyone through the hole in the wall.

He  _ was _ Zexion. He  _ had _ to be, because he looked so much the same, different coat or otherwise, and because his eyes widened in recognition and wariness when he saw her, too.

“Hello,” Namine said, in a tone that implied she, too, had met Zexion. Right, she’d been held prisoner by the Organization as well, once.

“Kairi, Namine, Riku,” He said.

“You,” Riku said neutrally.

“Oh, my apologies,” Zexion said. “I’m Ienzo again. I’m not quite sure how that happened, either.”

“Usually, the original self is restored when the Heartless and Nobody are both defeated,” Namine said. “That’s what mister Yen Sid said, anyways.”

“When did he say that?” Kairi asked.

“At some point, I think,” Namine said. “We’re special. Us, and Sora, and Roxas.”

“Yes,” Ienzo muttered. “With Kairi’s position as a Princess of Heart, and her having… a…”

“Is that the voice of a man who’s had an epiphany?” Vanitas asked.

“Vanitas,” Ienzo said. “I need you to get me every book from section 72-B of Library Aquarius.”

“Oh,” Vanitas said flatly. “Goody.”

~*~*~*~

“Your friends can come out, too,” Axel said.

Donald, Goofy, and Jack emerged from various hiding spots.

“So, they’re really with Santa?” Demyx asked. “The lists, I mean.”

“Yes, definitely,” Four people chorused in unison.

“Guess there’s nothing we can do,” Demyx said, shrugging. “Come on, Axel, let’s head--”

“Considering what I hear happened the  _ last _ time you took someone at their word, is that really what you want to do?” Axel sighed.

“He was a  _ psychic _ , Axel,” Demyx said, as though he’d had to defend this point a thousand times. “He knew my name and what I was thinking!”

“Sounds psychic to me,” Sora said.

“Someone might have told that guy his name,” Axel said, speaking to Sora as though he were giving an aside. “Like, say,  _ the person he was supposed to be looking for _ ?” Axel glared at Demyx.

“He knew what I was thinking!” Demyx said. “He read my mind!”

“If knowing what  _ you’re _ thinking is all it takes to be a psychic, then  _ I’m _ a psychic,” Axel said.

“Oh, yeah?” Demyx stuck his tongue out. “What am I thinking about right now?”

“How this is an effective test of whether or not I can guess what you’re thinking?” Axel raised an eyebrow.

“Nope,” Demyx said.

“Then what  _ are _ you thinking?” Axel asked.

“… That’s a secret,” Demyx said.

“You were  _ so _ thinking about whether or not it was an effective test!”

“Was  _ not _ !”

“Can you do this somewhere else?” Sora asked. “I don’t think Santa would be very happy if people were fighting in his workshop.”

“We’ve got stuff to do first,” Axel said.

Sora sighed. “This is really how we’re gonna do stuff, huh?”

“Axel,” Demyx said. “I think he’s about to summon his keyblade and beat us up, which I think means that it’s time to go.”

“Maybe the real psychic was Demyx all along,” Axel deadpanned. “Let’s get going, then.”

~*~*~*~

“Marluxia,” Saix said.

“Oh, hello there,” Marluxia said.

“Sorry,” Larxene said. “We couldn’t see you around his massive ego.”

“This conversation does not concern you, Larxene,” Saix said.

“Oh, I’m  _ hurt _ !” Larxene leaned dramatically onto Saix’s shoulder. “ _ How _ could you  _ say _ such a thing? To  _ me _ , personally?”

“Easily,” Saix said, shifting his shoulder and sending her to the floor. He ignored her transition into a handstand, and her continued push-ups behind him as he turned back to Marluxia. “When Roxas gets off house arrest, we’re putting you in charge of supervising his missions, Marluxia.”

“I would hardly consider myself the best for that particular assignment,” Marluxia said, making it clear that he considered himself the best for pretty much any other assignment.

“Well,” Saix said. “We didn’t consult you, did we?”

Marluxia glared, but said nothing.

“Just accept your babysitting duty like a good employee,” Larxene said, doing her upside down push-ups with one hand. “I’m sure you and Roxas will get along great; you’re whiny and he’s a brat.”

“Why do I spend time with you?” Marluxia huffed.

“Do you really want me to answer that?” Larxene laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Axel: Seriously, though, you do get some sort of incentive, right?  
Demyx: I get to live  
Axel: You don't even have dental??  
Demyx: You've got dental???
> 
> Marluxia: We don't know anything about children. Why is Roxas my job?  
Larxene: You were a child once  
Marluxia: And Saix *wasn't*?  
Larxene: He was just short for a few years


	37. Ienzo's Science Dad Could Have Stood To Have Been Around More

_ Roxas wasn’t awake. That was the first thing he came to be aware of, was that he wasn’t awake. It was a strange feeling. He was detached from the world around him, two steps back. _

_ Still, the view in front of him was his room, in the Castle That Never Was, even as it was looked over, suggesting confusion, disorientation. That, in itself, was confusing. He was supposed to be here. _

_ The thought seemed to calm the searching eyes, which settled on his chair, waiting next to his bed. _

_ “Well,” Ventus’ voice said. “This is… certainly happening.” _

_ It certainly was, Roxas agreed. _

_ The door opened, and Ventus stiffened as Xigbar entered. _

_ It was always Xigbar, Roxas thought with annoyance. Then again, wasn’t Xigbar Ventus’ father? That had been what he’d said. _

_ Ventus bit his lip, holding back a reaction. If that was indeed the case, it wasn’t something he remembered. _

_ “Hey, Tiger,” Xigbar said. “Just a few more days until you’re back to work, right? How are you holding up?” _

_ “I’m alright,” Ventus said, cagily. _

_ Xigbar laughed and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Yeah, I bet you’re chomping at the bit to have something to do, huh?” _

_ “It is what it is,” Ventus allowed. _

_ Xigbar gave him a funny look. “You alright there, kiddo?” _

_ “Fine,” Ventus said. _

_ Xigbar looked unconvinced. “Look, I know Axel’s been busy looking for Xion, but keep your head up. They’ll be back before you know it.” _

_ Ventus didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to reveal the fact that, in all honesty, he had no idea who Axel was supposed to be. _

_ Roxas, two steps back in the awareness… emanated his confusion. Ventus’ heart had been inside him this whole time. He should have known Axel. _

_ But he didn’t. _

_ Roxas conjured the image of Axel up in his mind, and hoped Ventus could see it. _

_ Xigbar reached over again, grabbing Ventus’ chin and turning his head to see a few more angles of it. “Someone’s looking a little less than ‘fine’.” _

_ “I’m fine,” Ventus insisted, reclaiming his face. _

_ Roxas pushed forward. Ventus wouldn’t be able to stand up to scrutiny from any members of the Organization. Roxas had to wake up. _

_ “Roxas,” Xigbar said. _

_ “What?” Ventus said, and fell over. _

~*~*~*~

“Roxas.”

Roxas groaned, putting a hand to his head. When had Xigbar arrived? When had he fallen asleep in the first place?

“Come on, what’s wrong with you today?”

“Nothing,” Roxas said, confusion evident in his voice. “I was asleep.”

“No,” Xigbar said. “You weren’t.”

“Pretty sure I was,” Roxas said, getting into his wheelchair. “Think I’d know.”

“Well,” Xigbar said. “You sure weren’t acting like it.”

“Oh,” Roxas said. “Huh. Anyways, bye.”

“Kiddo--” Xigbar began, but Roxas was already out the door.

~*~*~*~

“Here,” Ienzo said, holding up a book. “This is the one.”

“Then why did I have to get all of them?” Vanitas asked.

“Forgot what it was called,” Ienzo said. “Give me a break, it’s been nine years or more. That’s nearly half of my life.”

“Okay,” Riku said. “What’s the book about?”

“Pure hearts,” Ienzo said. “Master Ansem’s notes on the subject would all have been theoretical, but--”

“Ansem?” Riku and Kairi blurted out.

“Yeah…?” Ienzo said. “He was the scientist in charge of this place. He studied the heart.”

“Long silver hair?” Riku asked.

“Yellow eyes?” Kairi added.

“No,” Ienzo said. “That sounds like Xehanort, though, who was also here.”

“What did… Ansem look like?” Namine asked.

Ienzo shrugged. “Ansem? I don’t know how to describe him.”

“Come on, nothing?” Vanitas pushed.

“He was blond?” Ienzo managed. “Look, can any of you describe your parents?”

“Don’t have any,” Namine and Vanitas said.

“Forgot them,” Kairi said. “I could tell you about Sora’s parents.”

“Do you want to listen to me for the rest of the day?” Riku asked.

“Fine,” Ienzo said. “Guess he was a pretty absentee master. That’s beside the point. He knew a lot about hearts, enough that anything in this book is, at the very least, a place to start.”

“So,” Kairi said. “Let’s start then, shall we?”

~*~*~*~

When Santa returned, he was happy to look up where Riku and Kairi were to help Sora. He pointed them in the direction of the Hollow Bastion, and Sora shot off like a rocket back to the gummyship. Once Donald and Goofy caught up, they were on their way.

Eventually, they arrived.

“Wow!” Sora said. “Look at that, they’ve got a town going! Do you think Riku and Kairi are there?”

“Let’s look!” Goofy said. “Maybe they’re with the king.”

Sora cheered, and the three of them went into town.

Almost instantly, they were beset upon by Yuffie. “Sora! Donald! Goofy!” She said.

“Yuffie!” Sora said. “Hi!”

“Oh, how long has it been?” Yuffie squished Sora’s face a bit. “Anyways, welcome back! We’ve been cleaning up while you’ve been gone, can you tell?”

“It looks great!” Sora said. “I can hardly recognize the place!”

“Sheesh, don’t overdo it,” Yuffie laughed. “There’s still a lot to do. Come on, Leon and the others will be glad to see you, too.”

“Sure,” Sora said. “Hey, have you guys seen Riku or Kairi or the king around?”

“Hm,” Yuffie said. “I haven’t, but that doesn’t mean nobody else has. I can’t be everywhere, you know?”

“Right,” Sora said, trying to maintain his enthusiasm.

“Hey, don’t worry,” Yuffie said. “If they’re here, we’ll find them.”

~*~*~*~

“Oh, Ven, how am I ever going to make this up to you?” Aqua muttered.

Ventus’ sleeping form did not answer her. His breathing, shallow and slow, barely displaced the mountain of accessories forming around him.

Aqua sighed, and stood.

“Are you alright?” Mickey asked from the doorway.

“I’m fine, Mickey,” Aqua said. “It’s Ven who I’m worried about.”

“Well,” Mickey said. “I’m worried about both of you. You barely leave his side, Aqua.”

“I  _ can’t _ !” Aqua said. “What if I lose him again? What if I end up back in the Realm of Darkness again?”

“How did you end up there the first time?” Mickey asked.

Aqua faltered. “Well…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me? Staying up too late because I've got a school break and posting an update at 3am because I'm probably going to go completely nocturnal until next Sunday??? It's more likely than you think.
> 
> I think y'all are gonna like what this week has in store for this fic, update-wise. No, I will not explain.
> 
> I'm not sure how many chapters this whole thing is going to end up happening, but where I'm at with *writing* this should(?) be near the end of this fic. I've still got a HELL of a buffer, though, so don't expect to *see* that part any time soon. This chapter isn't even the halfway mark to what I've got done now. Still, I'm excited! This is my longest fic to date, and that's not counting other, extra content I've got floating around in my brain that'll probably show up in this series when I've finished this and built up more of a buffer on Bleed and Burn. Now if only I had this kind of energy for my original works lmao


	38. Marluxia Doesn't Like Children And The Science Squad Talks About Stuff That Seems Important But Might Not Be

“Roxas,” Marluxia said.

“Marluxia,” Roxas said. “Did something happen?”

“As I’m sure you’re no doubt aware,” Marluxia said, “You’re back to work soon.”

“Yes,” Roxas said, waiting for the new information to start.

“Saix has put me in charge of monitoring your missions until further notice,” Marluxia said, noticeably annoyed. Roxas wasn’t sure Marluxia had anything  _ better _ to do than supervise a potentially traitorous keyblade wielder killing Heartless, but maybe the man was more like Demyx than he let on.

“It’s okay,” Roxas said. “You won’t have to do much, and I’ll try to be fast.”

“What?” Marluxia said.

“‘What’ what?” Roxas asked.

“What are you… saying?”

Roxas turned the sentence over, attempting to identify the disconnect in communication. “Uh…” He said. “What are  _ you _ saying?”

“Ugh,” Marluxia muttered. “This is part of the reason why I don’t want to go on missions with you.”

Roxas wasn’t sure how to respond to that, but Ventus’ heart didn’t seem happy with it. “Marluxia?” Roxas said slowly, letting the heart guide his words. “Do you think I’m a brat?”

Roxas wasn’t sure what a brat  _ was _ .

“That’s the wrong word,” Marluxia said.

Roxas looked up at him with as innocent of an expression as he could muster.

“Larxene put you up to this, didn’t she?” Marluxia demanded. “Maybe you  _ are _ a brat.”

“She didn’t,” Larxene said from nearby. When had she shown up? “But if she had a heart, she’d be delighting in the show.”

“I hate both of you,” Marluxia said.

“Marluxia,” Larxene said in mock offense. “You can’t just  _ say _ that about  _ Roxas _ . He’s an  _ infant _ ! What would Xigbar say?”

“I don’t know what an infant is,” Roxas said. “Or a brat, really.”

Larxene and Marluxia looked at each other.

“Vexen said it, that’s where my munny’s at,” Larxene said.

“I can see that,” Marluxia said. “Why don’t you go try to make him admit it?”

“Later,” Larxene said. “This is more fun.”

Marluxia said nothing, instead opting to stalk off.

“I feel like I did something wrong,” Roxas said.

“Eh,” Larxene shrugged flippantly. “He’s always like that. Wanna go bother Lexaeus?”

“He kinda freaks me out.” Roxas rolled away from her a bit.

“Well, then it’ll be good for you,” She said. “Come on.”

“Nope!” Roxas declared. “Bye!”

“Coward!” Larxene laughed after him as he left.

~*~*~*~

“Alright, can we recap?” Vanitas said. “I think we lost Riku.”

“I’m understanding just fine,” Riku snapped. “Still, it wouldn’t hurt to go over everything again so we know  _ Vanitas _ has it down.”

The two blew raspberries at each other.

“The more balance a heart has between light and darkness, the more self contained it can be,” Kairi said. “The person it belongs to will still require connections to others, because that’s how people are made, but a balanced heart won’t experience as many drawbacks when those connections are lacking.”

“Which is good,” Ienzo continued, “Because the more balanced a heart is, the more effort the person who has it will have to put into forging connections. Hearts that are heavily biased towards light or dark will have a natural draw to them that most of us don’t.”

“Completely pure hearts can even forge powerful connections without the conscious awareness of either party,” Kairi said. “That’s what Ienzo and I think happened to create the connection between Vanitas and Sora. One pure heart reaching out to one biased one.”

“But it’s not just them,” Namine said. “Ventus, Roxas, and Xion are connected to them, too.”

Kairi nodded. “We’re not sure if it was Ventus or Vanitas who made the initial connection yet,” She said.

“Is that really the important part?” Riku asked. “What’s this got to do with anything?”

“The important part is that Vanitas’ and Sora’s hearts  _ are _ connected,” Ienzo said. “Vanitas, if you reach out, you might be able to find Sora.”

Everyone looked at Vanitas. There was a pause, spanning almost thirty seconds.

“Oh, you meant now?” Vanitas said.

“If you could,” Riku said.

Vanitas huffed. “Well, alright then. If that’s what’s important here.”

~*~*~*~

“It’s good to see you,” Cid said.

“It’s great to see you, too,” Sora said. “Have you seen Riku or Kairi?”

“I haven’t,” Cid said. “I’ve mostly been cooped up in here. But Leon might have, and he should be back any time.”

As if on cue, the door opened to reveal Leon. It also happened to reveal Cloud.

“Hi!” Yuffie said brightly, inserting herself in their path. “Leon, Sora’s looking for you.”

“Where’s he looking?” Leon asked.

“Right here,” Sora said. “Hi, Leon!”

“Hey, kid,” Leon said. “What’s up?”

“Have  _ you _ seen Riku or Kairi?” Sora asked. “I heard they were around here somewhere, see, and…”

“Yeah,” Leon said. “Yeah, I think I did see them. Do you know if they’re with anyone?”

“They might be,” Sora said, bouncing giddily in his chair. “Where did you see them?”

“I think I saw them in the market,” Leon said. “You can ask around there, they might have better information.”

“Thanks, Leon!” Sora said brightly, and hugged the man before rushing off, Donald and Goofy in pursuit.

“Are you a father now?” Cloud asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No,” Leon said. “If I was, you’d be the godfather, though.”

“Eh,” Cloud said. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“What about me?” Cid asked, offended.

“Come on, Cid,” Leon said. “Do you really want to risk being responsible for any kid I somehow end up in charge of first?”

Cid considered that. “No,” He decided.

~*~*~*~

“I got nothing,” Vanitas said.

Everyone around him sighed.

“Hey, I have an idea,” Vanitas gestured to Namine. “Why doesn’t the Nobody made from his own flesh try? My heart’s no good, so I think we should try some heart free methods.”

“That’s not--” Namine said.

Ienzo very suddenly and very noisily started sorting through the books on the table. Kairi darted to catch some books that came to exceed the boundaries of their surface.

“What now?” Riku asked.

“Just had a thought,” Ienzo said. “I need to check something, it should be in here.”

There were a few tense seconds, and then Ienzo picked up and flipped through a book. “Got it!”

“What?” Namine asked. “What is it?”

“Master Ansem didn’t have that many notes on Nobodies,” Ienzo said. “But the one thing he was solid on was that they could not truly exist within the laws of the universe, because they were born from a lack of hearts and all things needed a heart to live.”

“We’re aware,” Kairi said, thinking back to Yen Sid’s attempts to get her to absorb Namine.

“Life and hearts  _ are _ inextricably linked,” Ienzo said. “So, what if Nobodies just… grow their own?”

“Doesn’t that defeat the whole point?” Vanitas asked.

“The heart is the source of all emotion,” Ienzo said. “Even the two most primal emotions, desire and fear.”

“Organization XIII want hearts,” Namine said, eyes widening. “Want.  _ Desire. _ ”

“Exactly,” Ienzo said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roxas: if someone would PLEASE be so kind as to provide me with a dictionary
> 
> Leon: wait who made you the godfather of their kid?? i was joking youre honestly a terrible choice  
Cloud: Sephiroth  
Leon: CLOUD????  
Cloud: he came back from time traveling and told me i had a godson i would assume thats what happened


	39. There Is A Very Touching Reunion And Also A Very Long Nap

“So, Kairi, Riku, and this Namine character met up with someone else and went somewhere else,” Sora said.

“Let’s try the castle,” Donald said.

Sora groaned. “You’re probably right, but I wish we didn’t have to deal with all those stairs.”

“You should have asked Santa for a spider chair,” Goofy said.

“Yeah,” Sora sighed. “Well, I’m not risking them going off somewhere if they’re still here. Let’s go.”

They began to navigate the castle.

Eventually, they encountered Xemnas.

“Sora,” Xemnas said, surprised.

“Xemnas,” Sora said, also surprised.

They really shouldn’t have been surprised by that point, but they still managed it.

Xemnas ruffled Sora’s hair. “Still looking, huh?”

“Yeah,” Sora said. “Santa said Riku and Kairi were around here somewhere, though.”

“I see,” Xemnas said. “Well, it sounds like you might be getting your happy ending soon.”

“Well, I’ll be with Riku and Kairi again,” Sora said. “I don’t know if that’s the end, though.”

Xemnas sighed. “When is it ever, I suppose.”

“Well, I’ll see you around,” Sora said. “I can’t wait to introduce you to them!”

“I--” Xemnas said, but Sora gave him a quick hug and rolled off.

Goofy followed Sora, but Donald… didn’t.

“I take it you have something to discuss?” Xemnas said.

“I know you’re part of Organization XIII,” Donald said, crossing his wings and glaring. “Just because Sora refuses to believe it doesn’t mean Goofy and I do.”

“Ah,” Xemnas said. “That.”

“I don’t know what you’re trying, but just stop,” Donald said. “Just leave Sora alone.”

Then Donald turned and walked in the direction that Sora and Goofy had gone.

“Marluxia wasn’t acting under his orders at Castle Oblivion,” Xemnas blurted out.

“Right,” Donald said. “And I’m supposed to believe that.”

~*~*~*~

“What do you want, Xigbar?” Axel sighed. “Saix wants me to go on another mission soon, and I’m trying to get ready.”

“Something’s wrong with Roxas,” Xigbar said. “What mission?”

Axel gave Xigbar a hard look. “Look for Kairi 2: Electric Boogaloo, featuring Luxord. What’s happening with Roxas?”

“He was acting strange,” Xigbar said. “Then he passed out, and didn’t remember it when he woke up.”

Axel considered that. “That’s not good,” He declared.

“No,” Xigbar agreed. “When you get back from your boogaloo, can  _ you _ talk to him? I doubt he’d tell  _ me _ anything.”

“Right, right,” Axel said. “Just one question.”

“Yeah?”

“What makes you think  _ I’m _ going to tell you anything?”

Xigbar and Axel weren’t glaring at each other. They were simply maintaining intentionally neutral expressions while not breaking eye contact.

Finally, Xigbar sighed. “I can tell you about the Somebody of pretty much anyone you want,” He said. “Not everything, but a name and a bit of a background, if you’re interested.”

“I know about everyone from the Garden,” Axel said. “And I know who Roxas’ Somebody is.”

“Come on,” Xigbar said. “Aren’t you at least a little bit curious about anyone else?”

“Who else would you know about?” Axel raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve been around a while,” Xigbar said vaguely. “And I’m pretty lucky. I’ve stumbled across a good deal.”

Axel considered that. “I’ll think about it,” He said finally, and walked out.

~*~*~*~

Donald caught up with Sora and Goofy in another hallway. “Why’d we stop?” He asked.

“Something’s different about this hallway,” Sora said. “I’m not sure what, but-- I don’t know, it’s just different.”

“What took you so long?” Goofy asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” Donald said.

They paused for the moment, the three of them, in that empty hallway. Just like all the others, but different somehow.

Then, the silence broke.

“--a big deal,” Vanitas said as he opened and emerged from a hole in the wall. “You just have to try something else.”

“It is  _ too _ a big deal,” A girl Sora didn’t recognize protested, following after him in an odd chair. “We’ve been looking for long enough, in my opinion.”

Sora rolled forward, preparing to catch their attention.

“We  _ are _ getting pretty desperate,” Riku said.

Sora’s breath hitched.

“Hey!” Donald called.

The group turned. Kairi and a man Sora didn’t recognize popped curiously out of the wall.

“Sora!” Kairi and Riku said excitedly, running over to give him a big hug.

“Riku! Kairi!” Sora exclaimed, rolling to meet them.

It was a heartfelt, tearful, and deeply personal reunion.

Vanitas looked away.

“What’s the matter?” Namine asked him quietly.

“It’s too bright,” Vanitas said.

~*~*~*~

It took a few days for everyone to catch each other up on all the science and the basics of the adventures they’d been having, because there was a lot of science and a lot of adventures and, most of all, a lot of crying.

Eventually, when things were mostly explained, Sora, Kairi, and Riku ended up passing out together.

“So,” Donald said to Ienzo. “You were in the Organization, huh?”

“It’s… debatable, I suppose,” Ienzo said. “I have the memories. What did you want to know?”

“I want to know what you know about Xemnas,” Donald said.

“Oh, you met him?” Namine asked. “I just heard about him. Marluxia was gonna throw a coup at him.”

“Hmm,” Donald said.

“Xemnas is the leader of Organization XIII,” Ienzo said. “He’s trying to get Kingdom Hearts.”

“Are we the only people who  _ aren’t _ trying to get Kingdom Hearts?” Goofy asked.

Ienzo shrugged. “Anyways, he’s looking for Kingdom Hearts so the Organization can get hearts, but I’m pretty sure they already have them in some regard.”

“Hm,” Goofy said.

~*~*~*~

Roxas and Marluxia had been sent to Agrabah for Roxas’ first post escapade mission. By all accounts, things were going pretty normally.

“Have you ever been here before?” Roxas asked Marluxia after dispatching a small group of Heartless.

“Not physically,” Marluxia said.

Roxas wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. “Oh,” He said.

Marluxia didn’t elaborate.

“So, like, psychically?” Roxas asked.

“I’m not having this conversation,” Marluxia said.

“Okay,” Roxas said, disappointed.

They stayed there for a while longer.

“Ah, hello, there!” A voice called.

“What.” Marluxia froze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of us get sucked into pokemon lets plays on youtube?? for two solid days??? to cope???? Aaaaand then I didn't realize I'd forgotten to update until my first meal of the day. which was after sunset.
> 
> i am not a well put together man
> 
> Anyways, the gang's reunited! mostly. Roxas and Ven are in Agrabah instead, but, yknow, the Destiny Islands trio is back together.


	40. If Anyone Actually Does Not Know Ventus Please Raise Your Hand This Is Getting Ridiculous

“How long has  _ he _ been around?” Marluxia demanded after they were able to get away from Aladdin.

Roxas shrugged. “Longer than I have.”

Marluxia looked confused. “Are there any more Heartless around? I need you to test something.”

“Alright,” Roxas said. “Let’s see.”

They found some more Heartless, and Roxas killed them.

“That good?”

“That’s…” Marluxia said. “Okay. Okay, yeah, this place is real.”

“Yeah?” Roxas said. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Because it  _ wasn’t _ ,” Marluxia hissed. “This is all  _ wrong _ . How…?”

“I have no idea what you’re saying,” Roxas said.

“I thought--” Marluxia said. “So why-- Nevermind! There’s no way you would understand.”

“I’m not stupid!” Roxas protested.

Marluxia exploded. “Well it’s not like you know anything anyways! What the hell is  _ wrong _ with you?! You  _ lost _ your memories, you  _ have _ your keyblade, what makes  _ you _ so special?!”

“If I knew that, we wouldn’t be  _ having _ this conversation!” Roxas snapped back. “What, do  _ you _ want the keyblade? Fine!”

He threw his keyblade at Marluxia, who caught it.

“ _ You _ kill the Heartless, then! See how  _ you _ manage everyone’s expectations!”

“Fine!” Marluxia said.

“Fine!”

Roxas whirled and wheeled away in a huff.

Marluxia stalked off in the opposite direction.

~*~*~*~

“I mean, do we tell him?” Kairi asked later, once she and Riku were awake and the situation had been explained.

“What are you  _ talking _ about?” Riku said. “We  _ have _ to tell him. He has a right to know.”

“His new, like, adult male father figure type individual--” Kairi gestured vaguely-- “is in charge of an evil organization of being mean to me personally, or something. That’d break his heart!”

“Whether or not that’s the case, we should tell him,” Riku said. “You don’t think it’ll be  _ worse _ when he finds out on his own?”

“There’s no way to keep this from him forever,” Ienzo said. “He  _ can’t _ be  _ that _ oblivious.”

“He’s in denial,” Donald said. “I’ve been trying to convince him for ages.”

“Speaking of Sora,” Vanitas said. “Where did he go?”

They broke out of their conspiracy huddle.

“Oh, come on,” Kairi groaned.

~*~*~*~

“You’re still here!” Sora said brightly.

“More like I’m here again,” Xemnas said. “I  _ do _ have responsibilities, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make time to visit.”

“You should meet Riku and Kairi,” Sora said. “Come on! They’re this way!” He grabbed Xemnas’ hand and started pulling him back towards the hidden lab.

“I…” Xemnas said hesitantly. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“What?” Sora looked up at him and dropped his hand, confusion evident.

Xemnas took a deep breath, organizing his words before beginning his explanation. “You are the first person I’ve made a good impression on in a very long time,” He said finally. “I’m not sure it would hold.”

Sora was about to protest when Kairi, Riku, Namine, and Vanitas rounded the corner.

“There you are!” Riku said, obviously relieved as he rushed over.

“Riku!” Sora said, excited.

As Riku reached Sora, he put his hands on the other boy’s shoulders.

Vanitas approached Xemnas and looked him up and down. “So you’re Xemnas, huh?” He said, looking somewhat bored.

Xemnas blinked. The boy really did look like Sora. “... Yes,” He said.

“Hm,” Vanitas said. “From what I’d heard about you, I was expecting you to be a little more older than Terra.”

“Terra…?” Xemnas felt his mind latch onto the name. It sounded familiar, but he couldn’t place it. It felt almost… deeper than the urge to unlock Kingdom Hearts that had hounded him since his Somebody had awoken in the Radiant Garden.

Now that he thought about it (now that the name Terra was awake again) Vanitas seemed genuinely familiar, in a way other than his resemblance to Sora.

Vanitas gave him a funny look.

“I should go,” Xemnas said.

“Come on,” Sora said. “Can’t you meet everyone?”

“Uh,” Xemnas said.

Kairi and Riku exchanged a look. They knew. Xemnas knew they knew, because they couldn’t  _ not _ know.

Finally, Kairi approached, and stuck out her hand. “Hello,” She said. “I’m Kairi.”

Xemnas blinked. Sora looked at him expectantly. Carefully, he took Kairi’s hand and shook it once, before releasing it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kairi,” He said. “I am Xemnas.”

Riku looked at Xemnas neutrally.

“You must be Riku,” Xemnas said, knowing full well that this was Riku. “Sora’s told me a lot about you.”

Sora’s face flushed, “Xemnas!” He protested.

“Has he?” Riku looked away, hiding his expression.

“Sounds like Sora,” Kairi said, amusement creeping into her voice.

“Kairi!” Sora sounded downright  _ mortified _ .

~*~*~*~

Roxas realized his mistake about ten minutes after he’d left Marluxia behind, and instantly lost most of his ability to breathe. He’d just run off from Marluxia. He was probably  _ already _ in trouble.

Saix was going to kill him.

No, worse, Saix was going to make  _ Axel _ kill him.

He should have just bided his time until he was doing missions on his own again. He shouldn’t have gotten mad at Marluxia, he…

He… 

~*~*~*~

Marluxia realized  _ his _ mistake eleven minutes after parting ways with Roxas, and stiffened. He was supposed to be keeping an eye on the kid. If he didn’t find him before anything happened, he was going to be in so much trouble.

Saix would kill him.

Axel would also kill him, for entirely separate reasons.

He found Roxas passed out in an out of the way area of town. Rationally, he knew it hadn’t been that long since he’d realized what was wrong, but it felt like forever.

“Shit,” Marluxia said.

Something was, in fact, definitely wrong. Roxas looked paler than he had before, and the fit of his coat was somewhat off, as though it had been made for someone perhaps just a little bit taller than him.

“Wake up,” Marluxia said, kneeling down next to him. “I am  _ not _ getting killed over you.”

Roxas groaned, and his eyes opened slowly. They were wrong, too, in a way Marluxia couldn’t quite place, but that didn’t matter as much as the fact that Marluxia wasn’t going to get dusked any time in the next week.

“Good,” Marluxia said, holding back a relieved sigh. “You’re not dead.”

Roxas looked up at him, and tried to form a word, a phrase. After a few tries, he managed it. “Who are you?” His accent was different, too. It wasn’t one Marluxia recognized, and something tightened in his chest at that thought.

“Who are  _ you _ ?” Marluxia countered.

“I’m Ventus,” The boy said. “Call me Ven.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marluxia: what the FUCK  
Ven: you're telling me
> 
> Shout out to my friend's friend, who, upon hearing about my friend's other friend who was into Kingdom Hearts (me) told her to recommend this exact fic. This is probably the best thing that's ever happened to me.
> 
> Also, CALLout for my school's wifi, which will load AO3 but not anything I need to do my project. this is my Wifi Assigned Goof Off Time, apparently.


	41. Xemnas Does Not Have Time To Be Your Boss As He Must Instead Spend Time With His Son ASMR

“No, no you’re not!” Marluxia said. “You  _ can’t _ be!”

“What are you talking about?” The boy asked. “I am!”

“Then why don’t you talk like you’re from Daybreak Town?” Marluxia demanded. “Why are you a kid again? Why don’t you know who I am?”

The boy looked at him critically. “I…” He said. “I  _ did _ forget a lot, a few years ago. How long ago now…?” He looked down at himself. “What am I wearing?”

It was a close thing, Marluxia knew, but the boy  _ did _ look a  _ bit _ more like Ven than Roxas, even in the coat and at that age. The little  _ wrongnesses _ added up to that, almost. He also looked somewhat sick.

“Alright,” Marluxia sighed. “Let’s give you the benefit of the doubt for a second. Say you  _ are _ Ven. What have you been up to since Daybreak Town?”

The boy sighed. “Well, I mostly remember my time in the Land of Departure, with Master Eraqus, and Terra and Aqua.”

“No idea who they are,” Marluxia said.

“Well, I trained there for a while, and then when it was time for Terra and Aqua’s Mark of Mastery exam--”

“Their what?” 

“It’s like a final test,” The boy said. “For the title of Keyblade Master. I was too young to take it. Anyways--”

“We didn’t used to have anything like that,” Marluxia said.

“Do you have a keyblade?” The boy asked. “And, uh… you never  _ did _ tell me your name.”

“Oh,” Marluxia said. “Well--”

“Marluxia!” Larxene’s voice called from not too far off. “Got yeeted out here to find you, where’re you at?”

“Over here!” Marluxia called.

Larxene approached. “Yeesh, no wonder Saix muttered something about Roxas under his breath when sending me out here. Kid looks like shit.”

“Uh…” The boy said.

“This isn’t Roxas,” Marluxia said.

“Oh, this should be good,” Larxene said, sitting down next to them.

“I’m--” The boy began.

Marluxia cut him off. “He  _ claims _ he’s Ven.”

Larxene looked between Marluxia and the boy. “Wasn’t Ven older?”

“He also doesn’t seem to remember Daybreak Town,” Marluxia agreed.

“I got amnesia,” The boy said. “It was a very unfortunate consequence of my heart getting ripped in half.”

“Oh, that’ll do it,” Larxene said. “Hey, Lulu, do you think  _ our _ aging got fucked?”

“Considering that real, existing Agrabah seems to be in the same state as the predictions we ran through with Strelitzia?” Marluxia said. “I’m not sure.”

“Huh,” Larxene said. “Maybe it’s been long enough that there’s a new Ventus.”

“Is that a thing that happens?” The boy asked.

Larxene shrugged. “Might be. Anyways, y’all know where Roxas is?”

“That’s… a problem,” Marluxia said. “Almost forgot that part.”

“Roxas, huh?” Maybe Ven put a hand on his head. “Why does that…”

He fell over.

~*~*~*~

Roxas awoke on his back in the sand, head pounding as he forced himself to remember where he was.

“Well, he’s awake,” Larxene said, flipping the edge of her coat dramatically, almost as though it were a cape. “Looks like my work here is done.”

“You didn’t do anything,” Marluxia said.

Roxas sighed. “How much trouble am I in? When did Larxene get here?”

“I don’t know,” Marluxia said coldly. “Get in your chair, we’re going back to the castle to sort this out.”

Roxas sighed, and managed his way back into his chair.

Larxene opened a dark corridor. “So, Roxas,” She said. “How long have you been pulling that whole switcharoo with Ventus?”

“What?” Roxas asked. “How long have I  _ what _ ?”

“Ugh, you mean you haven’t even  _ noticed _ ?” She groaned. “How  _ boring _ .”

Then she dragged him through the corridor.

~*~*~*~

“I should be on my way, soon,” Xemnas said. “I  _ do _ have work.”

Riku and Kairi looked at each other.

“Do you have to do it  _ now _ ?” Sora asked. “I like spending time with everyone.”

Xemnas sighed. “Unfortunately, some of it  _ is _ \--”

“Yeah, you can stay a while longer,” Kairi said quickly. “It’s… nice to spend time with someone who supported Sora when we couldn’t.”

Ienzo, sitting nearby with a fake mustache he’d managed to find somewhere, nodded silently.

“I’d love to,” Xemnas said. “But I’m afraid it’s not possible, for now.”

“You don’t want to disappoint Sora, do you?” Riku raised an eyebrow.

Xemnas raised one back at him. “I will return when I am able,” He said. “Until then, best regards.”

Xemnas left.

~*~*~*~

Roxas sat uncomfortably in the meeting room with Marluxia, Larxene, Saix, and Xigbar.

“How long is he gonna be?” Larxene complained. “I’ve got shit to do.”

“You don’t,” Marluxia said.

“How do  _ you _ know?” She stuck her tongue out at him.

Xemnas appeared in his own chair, then. “Why do we have to do this?” He muttered.

“Roxas temporarily disappeared while on his mission today,” Saix said. “You did order me to keep you involved if something like this happened again.”

“I just didn’t expect it to happen  _ today _ ,” Xemnas sighed. “Fine. What happened.”

“He passed out,” Marluxia said. “When he woke up, he thought he was… someone else, for a while.”

“And then he passed out again, and woke up as himself without any idea what you’d talked about?” Xigbar guessed.

“Yeah,” Marluxia said. “How did you--”

“He did that earlier, too,” Xigbar said. “Didn’t  _ say _ he wasn’t feeling himself, but he gave a lot of vague answers and just acted really suspicious, overall.”

Roxas didn’t recall any of that in the slightest, but he supposed that was somewhat the point of the discussion.

“I see,” Xemnas said. “Marluxia, Larxene, Saix. You’re dismissed.”

Larxene vanished without hesitation, and Marluxia wasn’t too far behind her. Saix was noticeably surprised by his dismissal, but didn’t protest.

“So, boss,” Xigbar said. “What’s up?”

“You were the one that suggested to Saix that it might be a good idea to leave Marluxia in charge of his missions, weren’t you.” Xemnas’ expression was as neutral as Roxas had ever seen it, but it seemed significantly more dangerous.

“Yeah,” Xigbar said, miraculously unfazed. “What, do I need to walk through my thought process here?”

“Please.” Xemnas’ voice was low and deadly.

“Okay,” Xigbar said. “Reason number one; Marluxia and Larxene are probably gonna do less scheming with the kid around. That means they’re less likely to try another coup.”

Roxas blinked. He hadn’t been told about the  _ first _ one. Then again, he wasn’t entirely sure what a coup  _ was _ , but that wasn’t the  _ point _ , now, was it?

“Reason number two; if they did try, we’d be significantly more likely to hear about it earlier.”

“What makes you so sure?” Xemnas raised an eyebrow carefully.

“Roxas is a good boy,” Xigbar said. “Besides, he can’t lie an ounce.”

“Fine, whatever,” Xemnas said, waving aside the discussion. “One more thing, and then you can both go.”

Roxas looked up at Xemnas, not sure whether to be worried or relieved.

Xemnas looked at him, and he decided that the first option was more appropriate to the situation. “Roxas,” Xemnas said. “You’ve been switching places with someone else?”

“I don’t know,” Roxas said, quietly as he dared. “I don’t remember.”

“Can you try to do it now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted the edge of Larxene's coat to take up more of the last panel, but it didn't look right. :/ Oh well.
> 
> Organization XIII was presented as a collection of incredibly formidable and dangerous antagonists, but come on. Look at them. Look at these people. They're practically shenaniganery incarnate.


	42. Everyone Needs Something And For Some People That Is The Specifics Of Someone Else's Identity

“What’s a coup?” Roxas asked Larxene later.

“A damned waste of time,” She muttered. “What’re you asking  _ me _ for?”

“Xigbar mentioned it,” Roxas said hesitantly. “He said you and Marluxia--”

“That’s what Namine was for,” Larxene said. “I don’t see why Xigbar’s bringing that up  _ now _ . I mean,  _ he’s _ the one that lost you at Castle Oblivion.”

Roxas didn’t say anything.

“Why are you so curious about coups, anyway?” Marluxia asked.

“I--” Roxas began.

“Because whatever took his memory barely left him with enough language to communicate,” Larxene said. “If that. Remember when he first showed up? I mean, he’s still kind of boring, but he really took the cake on it then.”

“I’m not boring!” Roxas protested.

“If you’re not boring, then I’m  _ nice _ ,” Larxene said. “Just accept it, it’ll be easier on you in the long run.”

Roxas scowled.

“Oh, I’m  _ sorry _ ,” Larxene said in a sing-song voice. “Are you  _ sad _ ? Are you sad because Axel’s always working and doesn’t have time for you anymore?”

“Larxene,” Marluxia said. He didn’t  _ like _ Roxas, but he still felt that she’d gone a bit far.

Roxas’ expression didn’t change. “You know,” He said. “For someone who apparently doesn’t have any feelings, you sure seem really happy when you’re mean.”

Then he turned and left.

~*~*~*~

“Sora,” Riku said. “Can we talk? Just us?”

“Not even Kairi?” Sora asked. “I mean, I guess so, sure, but… Why?”

“Come on,” Riku said. “I’ll explain in a bit, just…”

“Okay,” Sora said.

None of the others attempted to follow them. Ienzo asked Kairi something, quietly, as Sora followed Riku out of the room, but he didn’t hear it.

A few hallways away, Riku turned to face him again.

“Have you met Roxas?” Riku asked.

“Yeah,” Sora said, “Once. What about him?”

Riku bit his lip. “I met him when I was looking for you. Using information from the Cheshire Cat, Namine figured out you had a Nobody and a Replica, and she thought that finding one of them might help us find you.”

“Okay…” Sora said. “I don’t know what a Replica is, but continue.”

“Eventually, that led us to Castle Oblivion,” Riku said. He seemed… unsure of his words. Not like he was lying, but rather like he wasn’t sure if he should be telling the truth. “That’s where we met Roxas. He’d been ordered to search the place by…”

“... By the person in charge of Organization XIII?” Sora finished.

Riku nodded. “A person he called ‘Lord Xemnas’.”

Sora blinked. “That doesn’t-- That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Sora,” Riku said. “I know… I know you always see the best in people, but… I don’t think Xemnas is really a good person.”

“I…” Sora said.

“Kairi didn’t want to tell you,” Riku said. “She said… She said it’d break your heart, but-- Well, I thought it’d be worse if you found out on your own.”

Sora was quiet for a long time. Finally, he spoke. “I guess… If that’s true, it might be best if he doesn’t know I know, right?”

“Sora--” Riku said.

“I mean, if he did,” Sora said. “He might-- I don’t know, start being evil at me? Is that what’d happen?”

Riku gave him a plaintive look. “Is this your way of saying nothing’s going to change? You’re still going to treat him like a friend until he makes the first move against you?”

“I guess so,” Sora said. “Who knows? Maybe that’s what he needs. A friend, instead of whatever’s got him looking for Kingdom Hearts.”

Riku sighed, his face resolving into a smile. “Sora,” He said.

“What?” Sora asked.

“That’s just… That’s just such a  _ you _ thing to say.”

~*~*~*~

“What’s up with them?” Ienzo asked as Sora and Riku left the lab.

“Beats me,” Kairi said. “I’m gonna look more into some more of those files on how different levels of light and darkness affect the heart.”

“Great,” Ienzo said. “I’m gonna bury myself in other research so I don’t have to deal with that, bye.”

“Bye,” Kairi said.

Ienzo left.

Across the room, Namine and Vanitas were sitting on the floor, looking through various collections of notes.

“I still don’t see why I have to be involved in this,” Vanitas said.

“Well, you’re brothers with Sora, right? That’s what you said?” Namine picked up another book.

“Yes…?”

“And he’d be brothers with Roxas, right?”

“I guess?”

“And Roxas and I are siblings,” Namine said. “We decided.”

“Okay…”

“So that makes you and I siblings, too,” Namine said simply. “So we should spend time together. And bond.”

“If Sora and Roxas are brothers, doesn’t that make you and Kairi sisters?” Vanitas put down the book in his hands. “Why not bond with the sibling who actually  _ understands _ this stuff?”

“I was talking to my cousin,” Kairi said, walking over and sitting down. “We can  _ all _ bond now.”

“You are both insufferable,” Vanitas grumbled.

~*~*~*~

Xemnas and Xigbar were in a room much like many of the other rooms in the castle.

“So, what’s the topic for today, boss?” Xigbar asked. “What are you trying to remember?”

Xemnas turned to Xigbar, expression neutral. “Who  _ is  _ Vanitas?” He asked.

“Oh, that kid,” Xigbar said, suppressing a shudder. “I don’t know too much about him, myself. He was your pet project for a while, I think. Made monsters. Gave me the creeps. What brought this up?”

“I met him,” Xemnas said. “Or, I suppose, I met him again. He didn’t…  _ seem _ to recognize me, but then again only one other person there  _ wasn’t _ pretending not to.”

“You have changed a lot since the last time I saw him,” Xigbar allowed. “I personally never liked him much.”

“I can tell,” Xemnas said. “Was there any reason  _ beyond _ him being unsettling?” Xemnas recalled what Sora had said about Vanitas; that he was the ‘emo phase’ Ventus had never had.

“He was a little shit,” Xigbar said. “He freaked me out, and he was an asshole.”

“Alright,” Xemnas said, turning away.

“Was that everything?”

“No.”

Xigbar stood there awkwardly for a while. “So, what now?” He finally asked.

“Who was Terra?”

Xigbar froze.

“Vanitas mentioned him. He said that from what he’d heard about  _ me _ , he’d expected me to be ‘a little more older than Terra’. Who was Terra?”

  
Xigbar sighed. “Oh, well, won’t  _ that _ explanation take a while?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today my finals begin. Also I go to a jazz concert. Fun times all around, really.


	43. Luxord And Axel Discuss Theoretical Treason While Aqua Makes A New Friend

“So, Luxord,” Axel said. The two of them were standing above a large, bright city. “We don’t have any leads. What do you want to do?”

“Perhaps a game,” Luxord said. “If we need to pass the time, there’s not much better.”

“Hmm,” Axel said. “What game, though? Like a guessing game?”

“I have cards, but I think we’d have to get off the roof for a proper game with them,” Luxord said.

“So, what should we guess?” Axel asked.

“Something we know?” Luxord pondered. “Or something we can’t know?”

Axel looked down across the city, considering. “Who in the Organization do you think is most likely to betray us?” He asked finally.

“Us two, personally?” Luxord toyed with a card between his fingers. “Or Xemnas? The Organization as a whole?”

“The whole ordeal,” Axel said. “Who would you guess?”

“What else do we have to do in our spare time, really?” Luxord asked.

Axel turned to him, startled by the admission.

“I’d doubt most of us would move beyond the theoretical,” Luxord continued, seemingly unfazed. “But, certainly, the  _ planning _ of a coup is one way to alleviate boredom that I’d think we’ve all considered.”

Axel didn’t say anything.

“Come now,” Luxord said. “You don’t really mean the thought’s never crossed your mind.”

“Of course not,” Axel said. “Why would it?”

“The children.” Luxord gave Axel a knowing look. “Watching you with them. It was almost like they gave you a heart on their own.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Axel said.

“So, then, if Xemnas ordered you to kill Xion for her disappearance, you would do it? Without hesitation?”

Axel sat, drawing his legs up to his chest. “I hate to say it,” He said. “But I think she might already be dead. We would have found her by now if she wasn’t.”

“But if she wasn’t,” Luxord said. “If she was alive, and you were supposed to change that. I don’t think you would.”

“Don’t make assumptions,” Axel said.

“I am not,” Luxord said. “Merely bets.”

“You’re insufferable.”

~*~*~*~

“So, Vanitas,” Sora said. “You mentioned Xion before, but I haven’t met her. Is she around?”

“In a sense,” Vanitas said.

“The last time she woke up, we had a… visitor from the Organization,” Ienzo said.

“‘Woke up’?” Sora asked.

“This is technically her body,” Vanitas said. “I’m just renting.”

Ienzo nodded. “Because Xion is a Replica, her body is a bit more… malleable. It keeps closer to the active heart, in form.”

“I don’t know what all those words mean, but I think I got all that,” Sora said.

“He really is related to Roxas,” Ienzo breathed.

“Hey,” Sora said, offended on the behalf of both himself and Roxas, who he had met one (1) time.

“Besides, you already met Xion, remember?” Vanitas said. “When  _ we _ first met.”

“Does that even count?” Sora wondered. “I mean…”

“Look,” Vanitas said. “It’s heart stuff, alright? There are, evidently, people who have spent their whole lives studying this, and I’m still not even sure if  _ they _ know anything.”

“Hey,” Ienzo said, offended.

“You started it,” Vanitas said.

~*~*~*~

“And then he fell to darkness,” Xigbar said. “That’s the deal with Terra.”

“Okay,” Xemnas said. “Do we know how he fell to darkness?”

“... No,” Xigbar said. “Unfortunately, I definitely didn’t catch anything about the how.”

“That is your lying voice,” Xemnas said. “I can tell when you lie to me. It’s rather insulting that you continue to try.”

“Ugh, fine!” Xigbar said. “You told me not to tell you, okay?”

“What?”

“You said that you might get some sort of amnesia, and you told me not to tell you what happened to Terra if you did,” Xigbar said. “I don’t know why. That’s not the point.”

“Well,” Xemnas said. “I’m telling you  _ now _ to tell me.”

“No,” Xigbar said. “You threatened to time travel and take my other eye if I told you, and I have reason to believe that’s something you’re actually capable of.”

“I’ll take your eye  _ now _ ,” Xemnas said, summoning the beams on his hands. “Tell me.”

“Hey, hey,” Xigbar said. “Let’s be reasonable, huh?”

Xemnas stepped forward, raising a hand. “‘Reasonable’ includes you following orders--”

The door opened. Demyx was standing there.

“Hey,” Xigbar said.

“I don’t even want to know what I just walked in on,” Demyx said. “Have either of you seen my spare coat?”

“No,” Xemnas said. “Have you asked Marluxia? He might have borrowed it.”

“He’s with Larxene,” Demyx said. “And I’m really not in the mood to get threatened.”

“Me, too, man,” Xigbar said.

Demyx blinked. He looked like he was about to say something, but then he stopped himself. “No,” He said instead. “No, I said I wouldn’t ask about that. I should go.”

“See you around,” Xigbar said.

“Will you, though?” Xemnas asked him.

Demyx bit his lip and walked away without another word. He figured it was time to get as far away from that whole situation as he could manage.

~*~*~*~

“Alright, Aqua,” Mickey said. “Master Yen Sid and I have been talking. You need to get outside for a bit.”

“I’m staying with Ventus,” Aqua said. “I abandoned him once--”

“You’re not abandoning him,” Mickey said. “You’re going on a walk, for your health. I understand that being in the Realm of Darkness for so long was hard on you, but Ventus would want you to take care of yourself.”

“Don’t use Ventus against me in an argument,” Aqua said.

“Get some  _ air _ ,” Mickey said. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”

Aqua huffed, but she put a pair of empty glasses frames on Ventus for good measure and left the room.

~*~*~*~

“‘Just a quick walk’,” Aqua muttered. “I don’t have time for this. I should be with him.”

She was still within sight of the tower, but it was a near thing. She’d figured, just walk out a bit and go back. Then Mickey couldn’t complain.

“Uh, miss?”

She whirled. A guy in a black coat was standing there, looking for all the world like he had come to the conclusion that he was in the middle of about 17 mistakes. His coat actually looked a lot like the coat that Riku had put on Ventus at some point, apparently when he’d been bringing him to the tower.

“Who are you?” Aqua demanded. “What’s that coat?”

“Uh,” The guy said. “This is to make sure I don’t get, like, darkness poisoning.”

Aqua considered that. “You know, that’s fair,” She said, a bit more casually. “What’s your name?”

“Demyx,” The guy said. He seemed  _ really _ nervous for some reason. “What’s yours?”

“Aqua,” She said. For good measure, she held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Demyx shook her hand carefully, as though he was worried about her ripping his arm off. “Nice to meet you too,” He said. “There’s… not much out here. What brings you?”

“I had to ‘go on a walk’ for my ‘health’,” Aqua said. “What about you?”

“Yeah,” Demyx said. “I don’t even know. I just had to get out of the workplace for a bit.”

“Huh,” Aqua said. “I’ve never had a job. Sounds fun.”

“It’s  _ not _ ,” Demyx said. “Trust me. Workplace politics are terrible, we don’t get hazard pay, and I have to, like, actually do stuff.”

“Having to do stuff is unfortunately part of life,” Aqua said. “That other stuff sounds rough, though.”

“Xaldin said his  _ old _ job had hazard pay,” Demyx said. “I wish  _ I _ got paid more when I had to fight Heartless, or when someone died.”

“Ouch,” Aqua said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to my friend who bought me the story so far collection so now I, too, can PERSONALLY not be healed by Donald Duck. I'm stuck on the Trickmaster in kh1 and have never been happier. Once finals are over I'm turning down the volume on the game and listening to the most recent TAZ episode while I Leeroy Jenkins the shit out of it. Also might start DDD early for the part where I get to pet the Dream Eaters and also for the sake of dnd au, which has about reached that point.
> 
> Also, friendship! Aqua and Demyx are friends now! I think they have that right. I think they should be friends. @Nomura let them hang out in ReMind they were both in the trailer you can justify this


	44. Aqua And Demyx Are Probably Oversharing A Little Bit But What Else Are Friends To Do

“Okay,” Ienzo said. “We’ve been messing around for long enough. We need to figure out what we’re gonna do about Organization XIII.”

“Beat up the boss and make everyone go home,” Vanitas said.

“It’s not that simple,” Ienzo said. “Everyone else is going to want to beat you up first.”

“Beat up everyone and go home,” Riku said.

Ienzo took a long, slow breath.

“First, I think those of us with combat experience should go after members that are out on missions,” Goofy said. “They’ll be cut off from back-up, which will give us an advantage. While we’re doing that, those of us who are better equipped on the science side of things can figure out how to get us to their base safely.”

Everyone blinked.

“Ienzo, you used to be a member of the Organization, right?” Goofy asked.

“I… Yes?” Ienzo said, not really sure what was going on or where it was going.

“You can tell us about their combat tactics, who might be in groups, and where they might be doing missions,” Goofy said. “Any questions so far?”

“When did you get so strategic?” Sora asked.

“I  _ am _ the captain of the royal guard at Disney Castle,” Goofy said.

“He is,” Donald agreed.

“I see,” Ienzo said, impressed. “Uh, I’ll draft up a list in a bit. Anything else?”

“I’ve got a question,” Sora said. “Shouldn’t we get Aqua and the king in on this?”

“That might be a good idea,” Goofy said.

“I’ll get them,” Riku said. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

Everyone nodded, and moved to prepare.

~*~*~*~

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s been keeping you inside?”

“Oh,” Aqua said. “A friend of mine. He lost his heart, so he’s been in a coma.”

Demyx gave her a funny look. “I don’t think that’s how that normally works,” He said.

“I dunno,” Aqua said. “I don’t really have much experience with the whole thing.”

“Alright,” Demyx said. “I, uh, know some people who don’t have hearts. They’re pretty active.”

“How’d they lose them?” Aqua wondered aloud. “That might have something to do with it.”

“I dunno,” Demyx said. “How’d your friend lose his?”

“Part of it got ripped off to make a whole other guy,” Aqua said. “Eventually, they beat each other up, made a really powerful keyblade for like two seconds, and he was like that after it exploded.”

“Hm,” Demyx said. “No, I don’t think anyone else did  _ that _ . So his heart just, like, yeeted?”

“I don’t know the definition of that verb,” Aqua said. “But as far as we can tell, it went to someone else’s heart to recover.”

“Wild,” Demyx said.

“I’ve actually got a picture,” Aqua said. “Of me, and Ventus, and our other friend Terra. Back when we were all apprentices. Apparently our master sent it to Master Yen Sid, and he gave it to me when I got back to his tower.”

“Oh wow,” Demyx said. “Sounds fun.”

“Here.” Aqua pulled the picture out of her pocket and showed it to Demyx.

“Huh,” Demyx said, studying the picture. “Did your friends have any relatives?”

Aqua shook her head. “Not that we knew of. Terra and I were orphans and Ventus had amnesia. Heart stuff, you know?”

“Ventus is the blond one?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, he looks  _ just like _ one of my coworkers,” Demyx said. “It’s creepy. And Terra looks weirdly like my boss, too.”

Aqua considered that. “Hey, Demyx?”

“Yeah?”

“Where do you work?”

They paused, looking at the picture.

“How about,” Demyx said. “I don’t tell you that, I don’t tell anyone at work about you or this conversation, and we don’t have to deal with any of that?”

“Sounds good,” Aqua said. “Anyways, I should be heading back to where I’m staying. Uh, please don’t follow me, it’s been nice talking to you, see you around?”

“Awesome,” Demyx said. “I’m gonna go play Despacito on repeat until Vexen can’t stand me anymore.”

“If we get a chance to talk again, I’ll teach you some Mitski,” Aqua said.

Demyx gave her a thumbs up and disappeared through a dark corridor.

~*~*~*~

“Vexen,” Roxas said. “Veeeexeeeeeen.”

“No I am not taking you to Twilight Town,” Vexen said, refusing to look at the boy.

“Yeah, well neither will anyone else, and you’re the least like to hit me if I pester you about it,” Roxas said. “Except for Axel, who’s working so he can’t take me, and Demyx, who I can’t find.”

“What about Xigbar and Lord Xemnas?” Vexen asked, twitching.

“They’re fighting,” Roxas said. “I didn’t want to get in the middle of that.”

“What?!” Vexen whirled to face Roxas.

“What?” Roxas asked. “Should I?”

“No-- I mean--” Vexen waved his hands. “What do you mean, they’re fighting?”

“Uh,” Roxas said. “I mean… they’re fighting?”

“Fighting  _ how _ ?”

Roxas wasn’t quite sure what Vexen wanted from this line of questioning. “... Fighting?”

The door slammed open.

“ _ Despacito _ !” Demyx sang at the top of his lungs, strumming like it was the end of the world. “ _ Quiero respirar tu cuello despacito _ \--”

“Demyx,” Vexen said. “I’m going to freeze you in a block of ice, and you’re going to have to melt on your own.”

“ _ Fu _ \-- Oh, hey Roxas.” Demyx strapped his sitar onto his back. “What are you up to?”

“I’m not allowed to leave by myself yet,” Roxas said. “So I  _ was _ trying to convince Vexen to take me to Twilight Town.”

“Oof, good luck,” Demyx said. “Well, I’m gonna go before he kills me.”

“Take me to Twilight Town,” Roxas said.

“Oh, no,” Demyx muttered.

~*~*~*~

“So, Vexen has ice magic and a big shield,” Sora said.

“Yes,” Ienzo said. “Also he might try to clone you again. But, like, badly this time.”

“He cloned me?” Sora asked.

“He made a Replica of you,” Ienzo agreed. “Xion, as it would happen.”

“Hm,” Sora said. “She looked more like Kairi than like me, when I saw her.”

“I literally do not know why half of anything happens when it comes to Replicas,” Ienzo said. “Vexen wouldn’t so much as let people  _ breathe _ on his notes.”

“Rude,” Sora said.

“Tell me about it,” Ienzo said. “He commandeered a lot of  _ my _ notes, too.”

Sora patted Ienzo on the arm in order to console him. “That’s rough,” He said.

  
“Thanks,” Ienzo said. “Anyways, next is Lexaeus, and he’s got a  _ huge _ axe. Like, I think the blade of it might be bigger than me, but I was always afraid to check.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just completed my first semester of college! very exciting. perhaps too much so
> 
> the organization is so fun to write!! canon severely underutilized them as a group. im probably gonna say this again at some point.


	45. The Fact That He Is Alive Is Not Relevant To What He Has To Say

“Welcome back, Aqua,” Mickey said. “Riku’s here!”

“I go out for  _ one _ walk…” Aqua chuckled as she shook her head. “What’s up?”

“We’re conspiring with a former member of Organization XIII to take out the rest of their order,” Riku said. “How was your walk?”

“It was fine,” Aqua said neutrally.

Mickey turned to Riku. “I don’t think she wants to admit I was right about her needing to get out for a bit.”

“Hey!” Aqua said.

“So, do you two want to help?” Riku asked. “With the whole ‘fighting an evil organization trying to bring about Kingdom Hearts’ thing, I mean.”

“I’m in,” Mickey said. “Aqua?”

Aqua considered her options. “I… think I should stay with Ventus,” She said finally. “For my own peace of mind, if nothing else.”

Riku nodded. “The rest of us are using the Hollow Bastion as a base of operations, for now,” He said. “You can go there, if you change your mind.”

Aqua shrugged. “Don’t know where that is. It’s probably for the best.”

Mickey looked like he was considering saying something, but he didn’t.

“Alright,” Riku said. “Do you want me to keep you updated on what’s happening?”

“Nah,” Aqua said. “Just let me know when you’re done, really.”

“Cool,” Riku said. “Come on, Mickey. Let’s get back to the others.”

“Right,” Mickey said.

~*~*~*~

“Alright,” Xigbar said. “I’ll tell you, but you’re not going to like it.”

“ _ Finally _ ,” Xemnas groaned.

Xigbar sighed, standing up and brushing himself off before leaning against a wall. “The reason Terra fell to darkness…” He muttered.

Xemnas motioned for him to get on with it.

Xigbar sighed again. “Terra fell to darkness because you made him.”

Xemnas stiffened. “What?”

“I told you that you wouldn’t like it,” Xigbar said. “It was all part of your master plan. That’s what you originally brought me in for; fight Terra until he started succumbing to the power of darkness. You handled the rest.”

“Did I…?” Xemnas muttered. He could tell, at least, that Xigbar believed what he was saying, but it didn’t sound  _ quite _ right to him. Something about it didn’t quite click in his mind, the way other things Xigbar had told him had before.

“Yup,” Xigbar said. “Lost my eye in that fight, too, so I guess I’m not Terra’s biggest fan, either, huh?”

“Right,” Xemnas said, distracted. “You’re dismissed.”

Xigbar turned and left. As he did so, he muttered, “Sentimental idiot.”

Xemnas pretended not to hear.

~*~*~*~

When Sora found Xemnas in another part of the Hollow Bastion castle, he knew something was… off.

“Hey, Xemnas,” He said, rolling up. “Are you okay?”

“Sora,” Xemnas said. His voice was very quiet, and he sounded surprised. “No, I don’t think I am.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I…”

They stayed there in silence for a long while.

“I think I might be a bad person, Sora,” Xemnas said.

Sora looked at Xemnas in a way the man couldn’t read. “Why?” He asked, finally.

Xemnas sighed. “Before I lost my memories, I… I just found out that back then, I… I hurt someone. Someone important to people I think I care about.”

“Oh,” Sora said. “That sounds…”

“Bad?” Xemnas suggested.

“I’m not sure I would have liked to meet you back then,” Sora decided. “But I think I’m glad I met you now.”

Xemnas wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that.

“Do you… need a hug?” Sora asked.

“I think I might like one,” Xemnas allowed. “Thank you.”

~*~*~*~

“Where’s Sora?” Mickey asked once Riku had gotten him back to the lab. He mostly seemed to be talking to Donald and Goofy.

“Somewhere around,” Kairi said. “He wanders off a lot. He got a new, teleporting father figure he tends to meet up with.”

“One to ten it for me,” Mickey said to Riku. “How likely is it Sora’s new, teleporting father figure is a member of Organization XIII?”

“Twenty,” Riku deadpanned. “But he’s decided to pretend he still doesn’t know, for some reason.”

“Which one?” Mickey asked. “Which one did he pick?”

“Xemnas,” Ienzo said casually.

Mickey could not have more obviously been trying and failing to decide what question to ask next.

“Mickey, this is Ienzo,” Riku said.

“You’re okay?” Mickey asked. “You’re alive? And  _ human _ ?”

“I’m alive, I’m well, and I have a lot of information about Organization XIII that I think you’re going to love to hear.”

“Does any of it include why Xehanort’s Nobody would adopt Sora?” Mickey said. “I thought Nobodies didn’t have hearts?”

“I’ll get to that in a minute, because it’s all conjecture,” Ienzo said, grabbing a stack of notes. “Here.”

~*~*~*~

“This isn’t Twilight Town,” Roxas said.

“No, this is San Fransokyo,” Demyx said. “They’ve got more to do here, and if you’re going to make me drag you places we’re going to go somewhere  _ fun _ .”

Roxas looked at him, unamused.

“Do you want to go back home?” Demyx asked.

Roxas sighed. “No. Not yet.”

“Alright then,” Demyx said, setting off. “Let’s go do something Luxord would approve of.”

“Why Luxord specifically?” Roxas asked.

“I’ll show you.”

Two minutes later, Demyx had put down munny on a fight between two robots. In one corner, the corner Demyx was betting on, was a big, burly robot controlled by a big, burly man. In the other, a tiny robot controlled by a boy who was probably younger than Roxas was supposed to be.

“What about you, kid?” The person who had taken Demyx’s munny asked Roxas. “You got a bet?”

“No,” Roxas said, somewhat uncomfortable. He would have been pretty sure that their involvement in the situation was some sort of revenge on Demyx’s part, except for the fact that Demyx seemed to be legitimately enjoying himself, which was something Roxas had never personally seen him do.

“Pity,” The person with the munny scoffed.

The fight was quick, and ruthless, and the tiny robot was ripped into pieces.

“That was almost unsatisfactory,” Demyx said. “Come on, Roxas, let’s find a better fight.”

“Can I try again?” The owner of the smaller robot asked the big man. “I have more money.”

The big man laughed. The kid’s munny was put on the plate.

Demyx’s eyes narrowed. “His robot’s already destroyed, what is he--”

“Bet?” The person with the munny plate asked.

“Same as last time,” Demyx muttered, putting the munny down.

“Fight!” A voice called.

The air changed.

Thirty seconds later, the big robot was completely destroyed.

There was a pause.

Then the crowd rioted.

“Demyx,” Roxas said, grabbing onto Demyx’s coat sleeve. “We should go. Can we go?”

Demyx didn’t say anything. He just grabbed the back of Roxas’ chair and ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last night i had a dream about a very cuddly animal in a shirt. at first it was a dog, but then it was a cat. the temptation to skip to ddd is increasing..........
> 
> Sora has a son moment. a sun moment. sunshine boy
> 
> Demyx: uhhh whats a fun and child appropriate activity  
Roxas: ice cr--  
Demyx, at full volume: ILLEGAL GAMBLING


	46. Saix Isn't Paid Enough To Deal With This Band Of Hooligans (Part Six): These People Really Should Unionize

“Hello, Sir,” Saix said without looking up from his book. “Back from another one of your secret missions?”

“Yes,” Xemnas said, because Saix didn’t need to know that ‘secret mission’ meant ‘spend time with Sora and be his dad now’.

Saix nodded. “Pretty much everyone is looking for you for different reasons,” He said.

“I can’t do  _ one thing _ for me, huh?” Xemnas muttered. “Fine. Who wants what?”

“Roxas  _ was _ looking for someone to escort him to Twilight Town, since he’s not allowed out on his own again yet, but he might have got Demyx to do it.” Saix closed his book. “Demyx wanted to ask you about adding fountains to a few rooms, Larxene probably wanted to get someone in trouble but she didn’t tell  _ me _ , Marluxia mentioned something about Roxas’... problem, Xigbar--”

“I’ll talk to Marluxia,” Xemnas said. “You deal with everyone else. I need a nap.”

Saix considered that with the exact opposite of gusto. “Yes… Sir…”

~*~*~*~

“So, Luxord,” Axel said as the pair walked through the alleyways of the city. “You’re so sure everyone’s plotting against the Organization, what do you think their plans are?”

“Larxene and Marluxia’s original idea seems to have fallen through,” Luxord said. “Still, I can’t help but think they’re going to try to sweep Roxas into another one.”

“I’d say I think that’s impossible, but he has been kind of off lately,” Axel allowed. “Even Xigbar noticed.”

Luxord nodded. “Speaking of Xigbar, he seems to have access to a great deal of information that Lord Xemnas is trying to tap into. He might try feeding in some misinformation, to some detriment, but I’m not sure that’s something he’d ever act upon.”

“They do talk a lot, don’t they,” Axel mused. “I thought it was just because they were one and two…”

“Vexen made a Replica of Sora, as well,” Luxord said. “I wasn’t able to look into his notes deeply, but he might intend to use that Replica or the knowledge he gained from creating it to his own ends.”

“He might try to bring Zexion back,” Axel suggested. “Or at least make a Replica that acts somewhat like him. Seems like something he’d do.”

“That might be the extent of it,” Luxord agreed. “Might not be, but might be.”

“For his own sake, it had better be,” Axel said.

Luxord laughed. “I suppose so.”

“What about… Demyx?” Axel suggested. “Do you think he might be planning something?”

“He wouldn’t spend the energy to plan something,” Luxord said. “But he might go along with someone else’s plan, if there was room for him. He  _ was _ close with Xepherem.”

“Oh, yeah, him,” Axel groaned. “What did he do, again?”

“He ran off with some of Vexen’s research, as I recall,” Luxord said. “And since we’re not allowed to leave…”

“Don’t see why he’d  _ go _ ,” Axel said. “That’s just  _ dumb _ .”

“It was certainly a bad play,” Luxord agreed. “ _ You _ made sure of that.”

“So if Demyx is out to get anyone, it’s me,” Axel sighed. “Great to know.”

“He might go after Roxas or Saix to get to you, but I wouldn’t worry about that too much,” Luxord said. “He’s remarked on it himself. Combat isn’t really his forte, and they’re both pretty powerful.”

The sounds of a ruckus in another direction cut off their conversation. A few seconds later, Demyx collided with Luxord, dragging Roxas’ chair behind him.

“What are you two doing out here?” Axel asked.

“Axel!” Roxas said, face lighting up.

“Kid was getting cabin fever,” Demyx said. “But he still needs an escort to go places, and I wanted to watch a bot fight.”

“Bot fight?” Luxord raised an eyebrow.

“People gamble on them, you’d love it,” Demyx said. “Here, Roxas, why don’t you stick with Luxord and Axel? I bet you’ll have more fun with them.”

“I should probably be heading back to the castle,” Roxas said. “Especially if  _ you’re _ heading back, I--”

“He might get in trouble if he switches escorts, yeah,” Axel said, eyeing Demyx suspiciously. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s true. Especially the way things have been going.”

“Bleurgh,” Demyx said. “I’m no good with kids.”

“That much is clear,” Luxord said. “However, you got yourself into this.”

~*~*~*~

“Marluxia,” Xemnas said.

“Lord Xemnas,” Marluxia replied coolly. “I take it this is about the matter I mentioned to Saix earlier?”

“Indeed.” Xemnas nodded. “You wished to discuss Roxas’... condition?”

“Yes,” Marluxia said.

Xemnas gestured for him to continue.

“When I found him in Agrabah, he looked sick,” Marluxia said. “I thought that was it, at first, but then he failed to recognize me. He introduced himself as someone I’d known before I lost my heart, but… the way he spoke was wrong. For Roxas or that person. He claimed he had amnesia, that he’d been living in a place called the Land of Departure--”

“The Land of Departure?” Xemnas repeated.

“Have you heard of it?” Marluxia asked.

“I… might have,” Xemnas muttered. “I… might have lived there once.”

Marluxia looked at all the information he had and made some very quick decisions. “Did you know Ventus?” He asked.

“Did  _ you _ ?”

“Yes,” Marluxia said. “But I’d never heard of the Land of Departure before.”

“I see,” Xemnas said. “That’s… interesting.”

“Sir,” Marluxia said, stiffly. “Have you ever heard of a place called Daybreak Town?”

Xemnas considered that for a long moment. “There was… a war there,” He said finally. “A very long time ago. Why?”

Marluxia wasn’t sure how to answer.

~*~*~*~

“This is for the boss’ ears only,” Xigbar said. “I told you that already.”

“He’s given me full authority to deal with the matter,” Saix said stiffly. “Had we hearts, I’d suspect him of being in a mood.”

“Of course,” Xigbar muttered. “I warned him…”

“Warned him about what?” Saix asked slowly.

“Hey, Saix,” Xigbar said, tone shifting dramatically. “Do you want to know Xemnas’ big secret?”

The undercurrent of Saix’s expression was half intrigue, half concern. “Am I going to die over it?” He finally asked.

“Nope!” Xigbar said, almost manic. “You know why? Because he’s sentimental. He  _ cares. That’s _ the secret. He keeps me up on all the behind the scenes stuff because I know a few things about who he was before he lost his memory. About what he wanted. About what he thinks he still might want.”

“What-- How?” Saix asked. “We don’t have hearts. We can’t feel. That’s the whole point.”

“Saix, buddy,” Xigbar said, slinging an arm over Saix’s shoulder. “We let you in on enough stuff, and if the boss is sending you to deal with me he  _ should _ be expecting me to let you in on this, too.  _ That’s all bullshit. _ ”

Saix blinked, stunned. “But… then, why are we trying to summon Kingdom Hearts?”

Xigbar laughed. “Because that’s our job, Saix. You keep the Organization running smoothly, I keep  _ Xemnas _ running smoothly, we summon Kingdom Hearts. Might get him his memories back, at least, and then I won’t have to explain the basics of his own plan to him, and wouldn’t  _ that _ be nice, huh?”

Saix pushed Xigbar’s arm away. “I see,” He said. “So even Lord Xemnas doesn’t know why…”

“Most of all,” Xigbar said. “It might just be something to  _ do _ . We’ve got a lot of time to kill, you know.”

“How long  _ do _ Nobodies… function?” Saix asked.

“Until we stop.” Xigbar shrugged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saix is consciously aware of feelings now! I'm sure this will affect absolutely nothing whatsoever.


	47. In A Shocking Twist Of Events, Roxas Isn't Paid Enough To Deal With Saix

“Sora,” Mickey said. “I need to talk to you about Xemnas.”

“I know about Xemnas,” Sora said. “Riku already told me, and I already decided what I’m gonna do about it.”

“Which is nothing,” Mickey said.

“Which is nothing,” Sora agreed.

“Sora, you need to know about who he  _ used _ to be,” Mickey said. “Before he was a Nobody. Before he--”

“I dunno,” Sora said. “It almost… feels wrong, to know stuff about him that he doesn’t.”

“You don’t know that he doesn’t know,” Mickey said. “Xehanort, he… He was a horrible man. He betrayed everyone who trusted him, he…”

“Xemnas needed a ten minute hug because he heard he  _ might _ have hurt someone that he had some mutual friends with,” Sora said.

“Did he, though?” Mickey asked. “Did he  _ really _ need it?”

“Yes,” Sora said.

Mickey didn’t look convinced.

“I would like to know what Xehanort did before he was living at the Radiant Garden,” Ienzo said from another part of the room. “I think that’d be pretty neat.”

“Well,” Mickey said, gearing up for the explanation.

~*~*~*~

Aqua was outside again. Master Yen Sid had insisted she get some air while eating her lunch, and she while she wasn’t about to admit it to the old wizard, she  _ was _ kind of hoping to see her new friend again.

As she sat, Demyx emerged from some local bushes.

“Hey,” She said.

“Hey,” He said. “I hope your day’s been better than mine.”

“Work stuff?” Aqua asked, amused.

“Yeah,” Demyx said. “I got roped into looking after the kid for a bit, and the boss won’t even  _ talk _ to me about my ideas for interior decoration.”

“Well, that’s pretty rude,” Aqua said. “Here, sit down. I’ve got some extra taiyaki.”

“Score!” Demyx whooped. “We haven’t had that back home for, like, a month!”

“So what are your interior decoration ideas?” She asked as the two of them ate.

“Add physically anything to at least one of the rooms that isn’t, like, white,” Demyx said. “Maybe some fountains, too. We’ve got enough room.”

“Your whole home and place of work is  _ monochrome _ ?” Aqua asked, horrified.

“Not even an accent color,” Demyx agreed sorrowfully. “Unless you count light grey, which I don’t.”

“How are you not blind?”

“I don’t know,” Demyx said. “I just have to keep suffering, I guess.”

“Unfortunate,” Aqua said.

There was about a minute of companionable silence.

“Hey, you said your boss looked kind of like Terra, right?” Aqua asked.

“I mean, there’s a resemblance,” Demyx allowed. “I dunno, that picture just made me think of him, is all.”

“Well, what’s his story?” Aqua asked. “Maybe they’re related.”

Demyx shrugged. “You know, I haven’t asked my boss for his backstory. It doesn’t feel like something I’d actually be allowed to do.”

“Hm,” Aqua said.

“What about Terra? What was he like? What’s  _ his _ story?” Demyx shoved the last of the taiyaki into his mouth.

“We grew up together,” Aqua said. “He wasn’t that much older than me, and we had a largely shared past, and the same teacher… He was basically my brother. And then when Ven came along, he became part of our family, too.”

“Mm,” Demyx said.

“So, what about you?” Aqua asked.

“Me?” Demyx sighed. “When I was a kid, I lived in this town… I forgot what it was called, because it wasn’t important back then, you know?”

Aqua nodded.

“Anyways, things were… pretty tense there. There were some factions, and they kept getting more and more mad at each other. Eventually my cousin sent me away from town. He said he’d come get me soon, but that was the last I ever saw of him. Some time later, I ended up with my current job.”

“And here we are?” Aqua said.

“Well, we  _ could _ talk about my ex, but basically, yeah.”

“Mm,” Aqua said. “I don’t have any of those. Everyone I’ve ever been interested in went and got married to a prince.”

“That’s rough,” Demyx said.

“Yeah,” Aqua said.

They were quiet for a while longer.

“I should be getting back.” Aqua stood. “I’ll raise some suspicions if I’m gone for too long.”

“Have fun watching your coma buddy,” Demyx said.

“Have fun at work,” Aqua said.

~*~*~*~

“The superior has decided that  _ I _ am to supervise your missions until further notice,” Saix said.

Roxas looked up at him. “I thought that was gonna be Marluxia’s job.”

“That was before you began to develop these  _ symptoms _ ,” Saix growled. “Believe me, I have  _ better _ things to be doing.”

Roxas wasn’t sure what was more important to the Organization than making sure Kingdom Hearts happened, but he wasn’t gonna bring it up.  _ He _ had better things to do than die.

Saix grabbed one of the handles of Roxas’ wheelchair and dragged him through a corridor.

“Oh, we’re doing something  _ now _ ,” Roxas muttered.

They arrived in Neverland. “Take out Heartless,” Saix said. “I’ll tell you when you’re done.”

Roxas didn’t say anything to Saix. He figured it was better that way. He just started looking for Heartless. Saix followed, from a distance, watching him, but it was better than actually interacting with the man.

“Hey!” Peter Pan bowled into Roxas’ side, lifting him out of his chair. “There you are! It’s been a bit!”

“Uh,” Roxas said, having no idea how to handle the situation. “Hi, Peter. You might want to--”

Roxas cut off as Peter jerked to the side in mid air, dodging a whole claymore.

“Who’s that guy?” Peter asked, looking annoyed. “He doesn’t seem fun.”

“He’s not,” Roxas said. “He’s in charge.”

“Roxas,” Saix called up, tone carefully neutral. “Get down here.”

“Please put me down,” Roxas said to Peter.

“Alright,” Peter said, and dropped him.

“Hey!” Roxas yelped.

Saix caught him by the back of his coat and dropped him into his chair, where he would not otherwise have landed. “Who is  _ that _ ?” He demanded.

“Peter Pan,” Roxas said, very quietly. “I met him last time I was here.”

“Oh, yes,” Saix said. Roxas figured he was one wrong word away from the berserker killing him. “When you were  _ betraying _ us.”

Roxas said nothing.

“Wow, no wonder he left you behind,” Peter said. “You’re  _ terrible _ to him. Why do you hate him so much?”

Saix wordlessly tossed another claymore at the flying boy.

“In any case,” Saix said. “Roxas, you have a job to do.  _ Do it _ .”

“Yessir,” Roxas muttered, very quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demyx: Yeah so no one at work is happy and everything just kind of sucks there  
Aqua: This sounds like a job for Jonathan Van Ness
> 
> Roxas: Saix I am practically begging you to go to anger management therapy  
Saix: Who has that kind of time  
Roxas:  
Saix: Fuck you


	48. Demyx Gets Pressured Into Opening Up To One Of His Coworkers (Who He Is Not Even Work Friends With)

“So,” Kairi said, since everyone had sat down for Mickey’s explanation about original Xehanort followed by Ienzo’s explanation of Xehanort: Radiant Garden Edition. “Xemnas is the Nobody of a young man called Xehanort, who eventually ganked the name of his teacher, Ansem, and was the result of an old man named Xehanort possessing a young man named Terra. That’s what I’m getting.”

“Yeah, that seems to be about it,” Mickey said.

“I wonder how much ‘Terra’ managed to stick around,” Sora said.

“Aqua said that he almost stopped being possessed when she beat him up one time,” Kairi said. “It’s… possible that Terra still has some sort of influence.”

“We can’t rely on that assumption,” Mickey said. “It’s far more likely that Xehanort is trying to manipulate Sora.”

“We can’t just assume that, either,” Sora protested.

“Trusting fellow, aren’t you?” Vanitas said.

“That’s not a bad thing,” Sora said.

“It’s not,” Riku agreed. “But you still have to be careful  _ sometimes _ , Sora.”

“I am!” Sora said. “Which of us was the one who trusted  _ Maleficent _ again?”

“And which of us seems to have learned from a blatantly evil person trying to treat us like a son?” Riku raised an eyebrow.

“He’s not--”

“Both of you, please,” Ienzo said. “You’re both making good points, and the way we’re doing things right now seems to be working. The rest of us can be suspicious. Sora can do what he does best.”

“Which is trusting people and making friends,” Kairi agreed.

“I’m gonna go into town,” Sora said. “Talk to Leon and them.”

“See if Merlin’s there, while you’re at it,” Mickey said. “He might be able to teach you some better spells.”

“Alright,” Sora said, and left.

~*~*~*~

Demyx found Marluxia on accident, pacing back and forth, looking almost… worried. He was about to turn and leave when the other man spotted him.

“Demyx, a word,” He said.

“Oh boy,” Demyx muttered.

Marluxia gave him a look. Almost… annoyed, but that was impossible. That  _ had _ to be impossible. “Have you ever heard of a place called Daybreak Town?”

“Daybreak Town?” Demyx repeated. “I mean, it sounds  _ kinda _ familiar, but my memory’s  _ crap _ . Why?”

“I see,” Marluxia said. “Do you have any idea where you might have heard the name?”

“Dunno,” Demyx said. “Who lived there? Maybe I met someone.”

Marluxia paused. “What are you suggesting, that I just list off names and see if you recognize anyone?”

“Might do it,” Demyx said.

“Strelitzia,” Marluxia said. “Skuld, Ephemer--”

“How do you spell that?” Demyx asked.

“E-P-H-E-M-E-R,” Marluxia said. “Someone you know?”

“We had a number eleven before you,” Demyx said. “Named Xepherem. I don’t know if the naming convention is the same for everyone, but… Roxas has the same letters as Sora, plus the X, and--”

“Now that you mention it, that lines up,” Marluxia agreed. “Larxene has the same letters as Elrena, too, and  _ my _ name…”

“Larxene used to be named Elrena?” Demyx asked. “Wait, how did you two meet?”

“She dated my sister,” Marluxia said. “That’s not the point. What happened to Xepherem?”

“He’s gone,” Demyx said. “He betrayed the Organization.”

Marluxia let out a laugh. Demyx jumped in surprise. “That sounds like Ephemer, alright. He never was one to let duty get in the way of things.”

“This is so weird,” Demyx said. “You knew my ex.”

“You two  _ dated _ ?”

“Hey, your sister dated  _ Larxene _ ,” Demyx shot back. “Although, I don’t think Xepherem ever mentioned Daybreak Town.”

“Well, there was also Brain--”

“Brain?” Demyx interrupted.

“Sound familiar?”

“Yeah!” Demyx said. “Emo hair? Hat?”

“Yeah,” Marluxia said.

“One of my cousin’s coworkers raised that guy,” Demyx said. “We were about the same age, so we got tossed in together a lot.”

“This is so weird,” Marluxia said. “ _ You _ of all people are from Daybreak Town, too?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Demyx protested.

“I have to know now,” Marluxia said. “What was your cousin’s name?”

“Aced?” Demyx said hesitantly.

“Your cousin was a fucking  _ foreteller _ ?” Marluxia exclaimed.

“I dunno, man,” Demyx said. “I don’t even know how long ago that was. I napped a lot since then. I just remember his name was probably Aced and he wore a funny mask sometimes.”

Marluxia took a deep breath. “Do you remember the name of the person who raised Brain?”

“No,” Demyx said. “I think it had a ‘V’ in it, too…?”

“We need to include Larxene in this conversation,” Marluxia said. “And if we find out anyone else is from Daybreak Town, too--”

“Why is this so important?” Demyx asked. “Seriously, it’s wild that we’re apparently from the same place and all, but--”

“I’ll explain later,” Marluxia said. “It’ll take forever.”

“Short version now or I’m not coming,” Demyx said.

Marluxia huffed. “Daybreak Town might have been much longer ago than we think.”

~*~*~*~

“Xigbar,” Larxene said. “You answer questions.”

“Sometimes,” Xigbar said. “Why, are you going to admit there’s something you don’t know?”

“I’m an asshole, not a narcissist,” Larxene said. “I never claimed to know everything.”

Xigbar laughed. “Fair enough.”

“So,” Larxene said. “What do you know about Daybreak Town?”

“Why would I know anything?” Xigbar countered. “Do I need to go over the backstory of us original six, again?”

“You know shit,” Larxene said. “You tell the boss shit. That’s why you’d know about Daybreak Town.”

“You’re confident,” Xigbar said. “Are you sure you’re not a narcissist?”

“I’m sure,” Larxene said. “That’s the  _ other _ end of the spectrum from asshole.”

Xigbar looked at her, plainly amused. “That’s one way to think about it, I guess,” He said. “Not sure where you reached that conclusion, but that’s not  _ my _ problem, is it?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Larxene said.

“Hey,” Xigbar said, voice taking on a warning tone. “Watch yourself, Larxene. We may be down a number or two, but that doesn’t mean we  _ can’t _ find someone to replace you.”

“If you were going to replace me for something as small as mouthing off, I wouldn’t have lasted a  _ day _ .” Larxene crossed her arms. “Are you gonna answer my question or not?”

“I never promised to,” Xigbar said.

Larxene blew a raspberry at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is mostly people catching each other up on stuff, with a few character moments thrown in for flavor.
> 
> I kind of want to write a fic where everyone in the Organization gets therapy, because they really need it and I like character analysis, but the only experience I have with therapy is my own sessions, which I don't think really apply to most of them.


	49. Remember That Time That Cloud Was At The Olympus Colosseum Because I Sure Do And So Does Sora

“Hey, Sora,” Leon said. “Did you find Riku and Kairi?”

“Yeah!” Sora said brightly. “Us and Donald and Goofy and some others have been staying in the castle.”

“Sora,” Leon said. “The castle is full of Heartless. When do you find time to sleep?”

“Unversed and Heartless don’t get along,” Sora said.

“Sora,” Leon said again. “What is an Unversed?”

“Uh,” Sora said intellectually.

“Okay,” Leon said. “Let’s come at this from a different angle. What do Unversed  _ do _ ?”

“Listen to Vanitas, mostly,” Sora said.

“Who is that,” Leon said. “Sora, please, you can’t keep saying things without context.”

“Vanitas is my brother now,” Sora said.

Leon looked at him for a long moment. Then he twisted and called over his shoulder. “Hey! Cloud! Have you and Sora been properly introduced yet?”

Cloud walked up, arms crossed, and looked between Leon and Sora. “Are you sure you’re not related to this kid?” He asked Leon.

“Sora is from a place called the Destiny Islands,” Leon said.

“Destiny Islands?” Cloud muttered.

“What, have  _ you _ been there?” Leon asked.

“No,” Cloud said.

“Hi again,” Sora said.

“Yeah, hey,” Cloud said. “How’s things?”

“Better,” Sora said. “How about you?”

“Yeah,” Cloud said.

A silence fell over the three of them.

“You guys want to go get lunch or something?” Leon asked.

“You’re paying,” Cloud said.

“I was thinking of saying hi to Merlin,” Sora said. “You two go ahead, though.”

“We will,” Cloud said. “Come on, Leon. Let’s eat.”

“Uh,” Leon said.

~*~*~*~

“We’ve been doing this for  _ hours _ ,” Roxas groaned. “Are everyone else’s missions this long?”

“We have to make up for lost time,” Saix said. “In dealing with your little  _ crisis of faith _ , you wasted over three weeks that could have been used for gathering hearts. You have to earn that time back.”

Roxas’ face was one of thinly veiled horror. “Are we gonna be out here for  _ three weeks _ ?” He asked.

“If you don’t stop complaining, yes,” Saix said. “Get back to work.”

Roxas got back to work. In his chest, Ventus’ heart  _ buzzed _ with rage. Roxas might have agreed with him, if he hadn’t been so thoroughly afraid; Saix wasn’t one for empty threats.

~*~*~*~

Ventus awoke to three things: pain, confusion, and the sound of something dying. He looked up, from the ground, to see a blue haired man dropping the biggest sword he’d ever seen into the dirt and brushing off his hands.

“Pathetic,” The man said. With a start, Ventus realized that the word was directed at him.

The man was… some combination of familiar and unfamiliar. Desperately, Ventus dug for the name.

“Quit lying around and get back to work,” The man snapped, starting to walk away.

“Isa?” Ventus asked, voice barely above a whisper.

The man froze.

Ventus would have continued to speak, if he hadn’t found himself lifted by the front of the strange coat he wore.

“Where did you hear that name?” Isa-- Ventus was almost sure, now-- growled. “ _ Who told you? Was it Axel? _ ”

“You did,” Ventus said. “Don’t you remember, Isa? It’s me, Ven--”

“Shut  _ up _ !” Isa threw him to the ground. “Don’t you  _ ever _ shut up?”

Ventus opted to play dead. Whatever was going on, he found himself remarkably adept at holding his breath. Something was wrong with Isa. Ventus wasn’t sure he’d survive if he pushed it.

A foot connected with his ribs. “Oh, don’t start,” Isa growled. “I know you’re fine. You know it, too.”

“What--” Ventus tried to say.

“Shut up,” Isa said.

Ventus paused. Then anger boiled up in him, as though it was a dream he’d just remembered. “No!” He said.

Isa stiffened. So they were  _ both _ angry. That might be for the best.

“No!” Ventus said again. “No! What’d I ever  _ do _ to you? What did--” Images flashed across his mind. Instincts. “What did  _ he _ ever do to you?”

Slowly, Ventus tried to push himself up. His legs felt very stiff, and they weren’t responding well. He was able to get one of them under him before he fell over again.

Isa didn’t say anything. He turned, summoning a pillar of darkness, and left.

One of Ventus’ hands went to his ribs, where he’d been kicked. He stopped trying to get up.

“What the hell is going on…?” He managed to say, before he slipped into sleep.

~*~*~*~

Roxas awoke to the sound of arguing, and groaned. What was going on? He wasn’t even sure he remembered where he’d been. Was he even still there?

Someone scooped him up and tucked him under their arm. Roxas’ ribs twinged, but it wasn’t enough to distract him from the pounding in his head just yet. “There,” Xigbar said. “Now I just need--”

“Nuh-uh!” Peter Pan declared. “If this is what’s keeping you from taking him away and hurting him like every other adult, then you can’t have it.”

“I’m not going to--”

“Likely story!” Peter said. He was  _ loud _ . Roxas groaned again.

“Things are going to be a whole lot worse if I  _ can’t _ get him home,” Xigbar said. “Just give me the chair so we can do things the easy way.”

“No!” Peter said.

“Too loud,” Roxas groaned. His headache was dying down, which was alright, but that left him aware of every other pain in his body, including what felt like bruises on his head, neck, and ribs. He suppressed a sigh at the realization. He hadn’t thought Ventus was getting into any  _ fights _ .

Ventus’ heart twinged reproachfully, as though he resented the accusation.

“Just hand it over,” Xigbar said. “Then I can get him home to rest, and recover, and not get in trouble again.”

Another raspberry.

Roxas felt the gravity around him shift slightly, before Xigbar slammed into an artificial surface above Peter, bending his legs to accommodate the impact.

“Wha-- Hey!” Peter cried. “That’s cheating!”

“Why?” Xigbar asked, and Roxas felt the man shrug with the shoulder he was under. “ _ You’re _ flying.”

Roxas opened his eyes, pressing a hand to one of the aching parts of his skull. Peter was hovering there, angry and seemingly upside down.

Then Xigbar turned and carried Roxas through a dark corridor.

~*~*~*~

“Absolutely not,” Vanitas said. “That’s a terrible idea.”

“Why?” Riku asked. “ _ We’re _ all risking our asses.”

“And I’d be perfectly happy to risk mine, if that’s what gets everything else moving faster,” Vanitas said. “But  _ that _ is a terrible idea.”

“It makes sense to me,” Kairi said. “What’s the matter?”

“What if they show up while she’s still recovering? What if they send more people than we’re expecting?” Vanitas began to pace. “Not to mention she doesn’t  _ know _ half of you, which would be distracting and possibly distressing  _ enough _ .”

“Well, it’s that or wait around somewhere for one of them to come wandering through,” Mickey said.

  
“Then we  _ wait _ ,” Vanitas said. “I… I’m not risking our corporeality that way for this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cloud: you promised to buy me food, Leon.  
Leon: I didn't  
Cloud: ah, so you wish to engage in combat. very well.  
Leon: what the fuck, dude.
> 
> Sora: Merlin, can I come in, or does your furniture still dance?  
Merlin, turning away from waltzing with a clock:  
Sora: Merlin I can't fit in your house
> 
> Ventus: can you get some anger management? can you PLEASE get some anger management???  
Saix: unrealistic. blocked, reported, and banned. disgusting. i am revolted. i spend my entire life dedicated to xemnas and kingdom hearts and this is the thanks i


	50. Honestly Everyone In The Organization Needs A Pay Raise For The Amount Of Interpersonal Drama They Are All Forced To Deal With

“Found him,” Xigbar said, arriving in the Round Room. “It was pretty easy for someone who was actually trying,  _ Saix _ .”

Saix scoffed. Roxas shifted uneasily in Xigbar’s grip. He knew Saix had never liked him, but the sheer  _ depth _ of the hatred in his eyes now was as intimidating as it was unfamiliar.

Xigbar set Roxas in his Official Meeting Chair, leaving the wheelchair at the bottom of the room, before moving to sit himself.

“Roxas,” Xemnas said neutrally.

“Yeah?” Roxas asked.

“Saix returned without you about fifteen minutes ago,” Xemnas said. “He has accused you of being blatantly disrespectful and avoiding your duties before leaving him behind. Now, ordinarily, we don’t do anything about that, as evidenced by Larxene and Demyx respectively, however…”

Roxas tried not to die of heart problems during the slight pause in Xemnas’ words.

“Saix is of the opinion that this indicates a traitorous intent in you,” Xemnas finished. “So, you’re going to explain yourself.”

“I…” Roxas said. “We’d been working for hours. I was tired, I--”

Saix shifted position, and Roxas flinched.

Xemnas looked between the two of them, before motioning for Roxas to continue.

“I don’t remember what happened then,” Roxas said. “I think I passed out. When I woke up, Xigbar was there and I was all bruised up.”

“Liar,” Saix growled under his breath.

“Oh?” Xemnas raised an eyebrow, turning to Saix. “Then would you mind being  _ specific _ about the events which transpired?”

Saix looked down at Roxas, who would really have rathered to have been somewhere else.

“He used my Somebody’s name,” The berserker said, finally.

“What?” Roxas yelped, before covering his mouth.

“Don’t deny it,” Saix said.

“Back off, Saix,” Xigbar said. “He’s not going to be able to explain himself with that look on your face.”

“Saix,” Xemnas said. “You were there, as I recall, when we established Roxas’ current situation?”

“I was,” Saix began. “But--”

“Did your Somebody ever meet a boy named Ventus?” Xemnas asked, dully.

“I…” Saix said. “I’ve been a Nobody for, what, nine years? Maybe more? I don’t know.”

Roxas bit his lip. He knew, rationally, that the other members of the Organization were not only a lot older than him, but remembered their Somebodies’ lives. Still, the idea of nine years was functionally equivalent to an eternity in his mind.

“I remember stuff from when  _ I _ was a kid,” Xigbar said. “And I’m not about to say how long ago  _ that _ was.”

“Well, this isn’t about you,” Xemnas said.

“Got me there,” Xigbar said.

“How is this ‘Ventus’  _ relevant _ to this discussion, Sir?” Saix asked.

“You’ve  _ seen _ Roxas’ Somebody, haven’t you?” Xemnas countered. “They certainly don’t resemble each other as much as evidence suggests that they should.”

“Not  _ this _ again,” Xigbar muttered.

~*~*~*~

“I’m back,” Sora said.

“Great,” Kairi said. “We’re preparing a combat force to try and ambush a Nobody.”

“Fun,” Sora said.

“Yeah,” Riku said. “ _ Great _ fun. Especially the part where we have to hope we can find them on our own, since we don’t have any sort of bait.”

“They wanted to use Xion,” Vanitas said.

“Hey!” Sora said. “We can’t use  _ people _ as bait! That’s horrible!”

“They would have come looking for her,” Riku said.

“Vanitas is right about the risks, though,” Ienzo said. “Which I suppose makes sense, since he’s… sharing with her.”

“So, who’s going?” Mickey asked.

“Ienzo stays,” Kairi said quickly. “He’s better at science than fighting, and if we take out anyone else who lost their heart here, they might  _ reform _ here. He’ll be the best person to explain that to them.”

“I’d prefer not to be alone here, if we’re poking the hornet’s nest now,” Ienzo said.

“We’ll stay,” Vanitas said, raising a hand.

“I don’t think I should go, either,” Namine said. “I  _ can _ fight, but… I’d prefer not to.”

Everyone else looked around.

“Are the rest of us going?” Mickey asked.

“Seems so,” Kairi said.

~*~*~*~

“I don’t  _ wanna _ ,” Demyx groaned as Marluxia dragged him into the room.

“Ew, Lulu, why’d you bring  _ him _ ?” Larxene sniffed.

“Because apparently his cousin was  _ Aced _ ,” Marluxia said. “So at the very least, he might like to know what we figure out on this whole thing.”

“Hey, what?” Larxene blinked.

“Also, apparently,” Marluxia continued. “ _ Brain _ was raised by a foreteller.”

“Emo hair hat guy,” Larxene said.

“Yeah,” Marluxia said. “Emo hair hat guy, who was one of the successors. Brain.”

“I don’t wanna be here,” Demyx said. “I wanna go learn Mitski.”

“Well, too bad,” Marluxia said.

“Have you asked him about Ven yet?” Larxene propped her head up on her hands, looking bored.

“Ven?” Demyx asked.

“Yeah,” Marluxia said.

“Short for… Ventus?”

“So you  _ did _ know him,” Larxene said.

“I don’t think so, no,” Demyx said. “But at one point I ran off to a random world to get some fresh air, and ended up meeting someone who mentioned their friend Ventus.”

Marluxia and Larxene looked at each other.

“Anything about a ‘Land of Departure’?”

“I dunno, maybe?” Demyx said. “Look, can I go?”

“Unless you’re going to go ask that person about Ventus, no,” Marluxia said.

“You guys both suck,” Demyx said.

“Ha,” Larxene said. “Sucks to be you, then.”

~*~*~*~

“Vanitas suggested here?” Sora asked.

“Yup,” Goofy said.

The group was waiting around in Wonderland.

“How long are we gonna wait?” Donald complained.

“Until we run out of food and get hungry,” Kairi said. “We packed enough, we should be able to wait for a day or two.”

Donald flopped over dramatically onto the ground. Everyone else laughed.

“Ah, hello hello,” The voice of the Cheshire Cat said, startling them into silence. “I see things, and I see that some of them have been going well.”

“Hi,” Sora said, waving.

Everyone else waved, too.

“I see your plans, as well,” The Cat said, idly, floating slowly along as he rotated in the air. “An out of place shell huffs and buzzes under leaf and twig, but does not approach. The question remains, however. Will you?”

“We should have brought Namine,” Riku sighed.

“I’ve got this,” Mickey said. “Someone who doesn’t belong here is in the forest?”

The Cat grinned, the expression stretching beyond his face. Then he vanished.

“Let’s go, then,” Kairi said. “I wonder how many of them we can get before we have to go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheshire Cat! Love him


	51. If The Supervision Doesn't Show Up In 15 Minutes You're Legally Allowed To Steal All His Science Notes About You And Your Family

Vexen was on a mission, so Roxas was made to wait in his lab until his return. Roxas began to understand the man’s wish for a dedicated doctor, if only so he could get the whole ordeal over with and do something else.

He opted to put forth the effort it required to navigate the room without knocking over too much, eventually coming to the overflowing filing cabinet that held, well, most of Vexen’s notes.

The bottom section was locked, but Roxas had a keyblade and a budding instinct to blame things on other people. He opened it without too much thought and started digging through it.

Eventually, he found a folder labeled  _ Pure Hearts _ , which sounded interesting enough. He opened it, and was practically  _ blasted _ by all the jargon on the page. He closed it, and tucked it into the small pocket under his seat, which he mostly used for small collectables that didn’t fit in his standard issue bag, and kept digging.

He had tucked away more folders labeled with  _ Replica Program _ ,  _ Kingdom Hearts _ , and his own name when he heard a sound. He closed the cabinet and wheeled away, knocking over a pile of other papers.

“I’msorryaboutthemultiplehourlongforcedlisteningbutIneedtohideinhereasecond!” Demyx said, slamming the door behind him after entering.

“Uh,” Roxas said.

“Oh, hey,” Demyx said. “Where’s Vexen?”

“Mission, I think,” Roxas said. “Why?”

“What are you doing in here?”

“What are  _ you _ doing in here?”

“Larxene and Marluxia have gone insane, probably,” Demyx said.

“Oh,” Roxas said. “I’m not sure how to deal with that.”

“Just hold them off so I can escape,” Demyx said. “I’m sick of their conspiracy theories, and there’s someone I need to ask some questions and I can’t lead them to her.”

Roxas considered that. “Her who?” He asked, suspicion creeping into his tone. “Xion?”

Demyx shook his head. “I can ask is she knows about Xion, though. I’ve just gotta… know stuff. Know if she knows stuff.”

“Can I come?”

“Absolutely  _ not _ ,” Demyx said. “I don’t think she’ll talk to me if I bring anyone, and  _ you _ , well…”

“Look like someone,” Roxas deadpanned.

“... Yeah,” Demyx said. “How did you--”

“Everyone seems to know Ventus.” Roxas shrugged. “Most of them seem really interested in his heart.”

“Okay,” Demyx said. “Well. I can see if--”

“I think, if I’m going to be introduced to someone new anytime soon, I’d like it to be someone who  _ doesn’t _ know Ventus, if that’s possible,” Roxas said. “It’d probably be less awkward.”

Demyx gave him a funny look. “Can you just… hold the door closed until I’m gone?”

Roxas moved to the door and turned on his breaks.

Demyx left.

~*~*~*~

Vexen didn’t like Wonderland. The whole place was complete nonsense, which made it all the worse that he  _ had _ to deal with it if he wanted any useful data on the Princesses of Heart.

He tried to ignore the cat appearing out of thin air in front of him.

“Shell of a man,” It said. “Looking for answers?”

Vexen glared at it, and kept walking.

“Looking for friends?”

“What’s it to you, what I want?” Vexen snapped. He felt rather silly, almost immediately. He must have gone crazy, thinking cats could talk. Or maybe Wonderland had, long, long ago.

“Those are your options, it seems,” The creature said, dully. “I can give you one, perhaps, if it matters to you.”

“I don’t need ‘friends’,” Vexen said, and stalked away.

The cat did not follow him, but he heard it speak again as he walked. “Then you’ve made the wrong decision, if you so dearly wish to be empty.”

Vexen glanced back, but the cat was gone. “Impossible world,” He muttered, and kept walking.

~*~*~*~

Kairi was the first one to see Vexen, by virtue of her attempt to collect a sample of an unfamiliar plant.

“Oh,” She said.

“Oh,” Vexen said.

He jumped backwards, drawing his shield.

Kairi, in turn, summoned her keyblade. “Over here!” She called.

“Oh, for the love of--” Vexen began. He did not finish his sentence, instead opting to shift his focus to blocking an air strike from Riku.

“Payback time,” Kairi said.

“Wait!” Vexen said.

None of them waited.

~*~*~*~

The door to Vexen’s lab slammed open. Roxas had, fortunately, moved away from it after Demyx’s departure, but he still nearly jumped out of his seat.

“Come on,” Xaldin said. “Boss doesn’t want you in here anymore.”

“He’s the one who told me to come here?” Roxas looked at Xaldin with wide eyes, hoping the man didn’t notice the comical amount of paperwork he’d pilfered.

“Well, he changed his mind,” Xaldin said. “Not sure why, but I’m sure we’ll hear soon enough.”

Roxas didn’t protest any further. He wheeled out the door and into the hallway. “I wonder if I’ve got another mission tomorrow,” He said.

“If you don’t, I haven’t heard about it,” Xaldin said

~*~*~*~

“Are you awake?”

The sound prompted Even to realize that he was aware. He was lying face down on a tiled floor. How had he gotten there?

Oh, right.

He’d died.

“Is this hell?” He groaned.

“No.” He recognized the voice now, but he couldn’t quite put a name to it. That was troubling. He’d always had such a good memory. “This isn’t even purgatory.”

“Just leave him on the floor, he’ll get up when he’s ready,” Another voice said. That person sounded familiar, too, but in a different way. Further off, and a bit to the left, in that regard.

“I started getting up when you found me.”

“I’d also, see, been out of the room.”

“You are both ridiculous,” A third voice said. Not quite familiar. Not quite  _ unfamiliar _ , either. “Ienzo, if you want him off the floor, pick him up.”

Ienzo. Yes, that  _ was _ Ienzo’s voice.

Something in his mind argued, and it took him a moment to realize what it was trying to say. That couldn’t be Ienzo, because Ienzo had become Zexion, and Zexion was dead.

Ienzo had become Zexion ages ago. Ienzo had become Zexion when…

When Even had become Vexen.

And now he wasn’t. Now he was Even again.

Vexen had been killed, and now he was Even again. He’d been  _ recompleted _ .

“So that’s what they’re after,” He muttered.

“Hm?” Ienzo reached under Even’s prone form and helped him sit up. Even found himself able to hold the position on his own after the initial assistance.

The first voice  _ had  _ been Ienzo, full of concern and not at all resentful of the choices his fellow apprentices-- Even included-- had made, that had led him to lose his heart, to grow up a Nobody. The third voice had been Namine. She watched him now, wary, yet not frightened. The second… 

Seemed to be a mirror version of Sora, and looked at him, apparently bored. His expression changed, becoming somewhat opaque, as he noticed Even’s attention narrow in on him.

“My name is Vanitas,” He said. “I’m Ventus’ brother.”

“I… was unaware he had one,” Even said. “You must have been young when I met him.”

“Nope,” Vanitas said. “Just haven’t been aging for a while. Looks like you haven’t, either.”

“Oh,” Even said

  
“Anyways,” Vanitas said. “You’re human now. Wanna help us, ah,  _ recomplete _ your former comrades?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demyx: Not every 'her' is Xion  
Roxas: I've physically met maybe five people who use she/her pronouns I can be forgiven for the assumption  
Demyx: yknow thats fair
> 
> Also the Cheshire Cat is back for a hot minute!
> 
> Next week, Luxord embarrasses Axel, Demyx and Aqua hang out some more, and Lexaeus has allergies.


	52. Conspiracy Theories Are Only Fun If They're Harmless And Also Not Annoying

“Your coworkers have conspiracy theories now?” Aqua asked.

“I know,” Demyx said. “It’s ridiculous! My cousin can’t have been, like, a community leader. He wore a bear mask in public!”

“That’s adorable,” Aqua said. “He might have been in charge of a daycare.”

“Dunno what that is, so probably not,” Demyx said.

“Hm,” Aqua said.

They sat for a while. They’d found a cliff with a great vantage point for throwing rocks at Heartless.

“One of my coworkers thinks he might have used to be coworkers with my ex, at his old job, so that’s weird,” Demyx said.

“Heh, small universe,” Aqua said.

“I guess,” Demyx said. “One of our other coworkers used to date that one’s sister, apparently, too.”

“I wonder if there are any other weird connections you haven’t learned about yet,” Aqua said. “It almost seems like whoever’s in charge of hiring might have done this on purpose.

“Well,” Demyx said. “The founding members knew each other beforehand, obviously. The first two people to get brought in after that knew each other, too.”

“I see,” Aqua muttered. “Is there anyone at your job who  _ doesn’t _ seem to have any prior connections?”

“One person,” Demyx said. “I think, anyways. He’s pretty private, but no one’s  _ admitted _ to knowing him.”

“Huh,” Aqua said.

Another pause.

“So,” Demyx said finally. “What have you been up to?”

“Got asked to join a squad aiming to deal with a situation that is evidently an issue in places that are not here,” Aqua said. “I feel a  _ little _ bad not joining them, but I’m not emotionally prepared to leave Ven at this point.”

“Oh, yeah!” Demyx said. “Speaking of Ven, those same coworkers who had the conspiracy theory I mentioned earlier also knew someone named Ventus.”

“What, really?”

“Yeah,” Demyx said. “It was weird, though. They talked like he was from wherever they were from, where they think I’m from, but then they mentioned somewhere else.”

“Where?” Aqua asked.

“‘Land of Departure’?” Demyx said. “Which is a weird name for a place to have. Where is anyone departing to?”

Aqua didn’t say anything. She seemed to be calculating something, and she  _ didn’t _ seem to be liking the results.

“Aqua?” Demyx asked.

“I think I should go,” She said, finally. “I need… a library.”

~*~*~*~

“You’re sure about this?” Axel asked.

“It’s a gamble,” Luxord said, peering around the wall.

“Way to make me feel better,” Axel joked. “Seriously, though, I haven’t been here since the reconstruction started. It’s weird, seeing it like this.”

“As  _ it _ is, or as  _ you _ are?”

“Yes,” Axel admitted. “It was one thing, coming here as a Nobody when it was all darkness, but now? Everyone’s breathing life back into it. I’m not even really breathing.”

“If we were human, I suppose the feeling would be ‘conflicted’,” Luxord said.

“If we were human, I wouldn’t feel like this,” Axel said. “I  _ knew _ some of these people, and I’m pretty sure they’ve aged more than I have. I used to babysit some of these people for pocket money. They shouldn’t be adults.  _ I’m _ barely an adult.”

“If you knew them, why don’t you ask them if they’ve seen her?” Luxord suggested.

“I’d have to stay,” Axel said. “Even if I wouldn’t have to stay to keep the whole Organization thing on the down low, they likely wouldn’t let me leave. They’re  _ complete _ .”

“Hm,” Luxord said. “I see…”

“Are you two going to stand there all day?”

The pair whirled. Yuffie was standing there, hands on her hips. Axel looked around helplessly.

“Is there something else we  _ should _ be doing?” Luxord asked.

“Well,” Yuffie said. “If  _ you _ don’t have anything, you could help with the restoration project.”

“Breathe some life back into the place, eh?” Luxord said, side eyeing Axel. “I suppose we could lend a hand, for a short while.”

“Great!” Yuffie beamed. “Come on, you two! Cid will have a better idea where we need the extra help.”

Luxord followed her, and Axel followed him, holding in a scream. Maybe they  _ wouldn’t _ recognize him. Maybe something was going to go  _ right  _ for once.

~*~*~*~

Roxas ended up casting a healing spell on himself, because he figured that none of the others were going to have time for him, the way things were going. He’d forgone doing so when they were insistent on checking his wounds, but he saw no reason to stall any further. His head hurt, his side hurt, and he was simply over all not having a good time.

“Hey, Roxas,” Larxene said. Leave it to her to prove him wrong, for good or ill. Her tone was the same as ever, flippant and overly, performatively gleeful, but there was something in her expression that unsettled him in a way she never could have pulled off intentionally. It didn’t quite match the rest of itself.

“Hi,” He said. “Do you know what’s going on?”

“That’s what I’m here about,” She said. “You know why you got kicked out of Vexen’s lab?”

Roxas thought of himself, three hours prior, digging through the filing cabinet and taking anything he thought looked interesting for no reason he could discern. “No?” He tried.

“He’s gone missing,” Larxene said. “He was on a mission, and just-- blip!-- gone. Just like when Xion disappeared.”

Of course she brought up Xion. She was here to upset him.

“So, yeah, no more Vexen,” She said. “Thank goodness, right? That guy was  _ so _ stuffy sometimes. And he was even more boring than  _ you _ !”

“Thanks,” Roxas said, less than sincerely.

“Hm,” She said. She was looking at him funny. “You know, you’re pretty weird sometimes.”

“What is it this time?” Roxas asked.

“Just in general,” She said. “Like, where’d your memory even  _ go _ ? Does your Heartless have the exclusive rights to it?”

“Huh?”

“Like, if something happened to your Heartless, would you get your memories back?” She asked.

“I dunno,” Roxas said. “Is that really what’s important right now?”

“Might be,” Larxene said. “It was one of Vexen’s theories, and your Heartless  _ might _ have killed him.”

Roxas looked at Larxene. Larxene looked at Roxas.

“Hm?” Roxas said.

“Your Heartless,” Larxene said. “Violent little dude. Definitely caused at least one problem for Xigbar at one point, so, like…”

“Oh…” Roxas said.

“What’s wrong?” Larxene asked leaning down and pinching his cheeks. “You can’t be  _ sad _ that your Heartless is out there causing trouble. It’s got all your emotions in.”

“If all my emotions are in my Heartless, why are you tormenting  _ me _ ?” Roxas asked.

“Eh,” Larxene said, letting go of his face and straightening up. “It’s something to do. Hey, I know, let’s go kill your Heartless!”

“... What?” Roxas asked.

“Your job is to kill Heartless, and yours is causing problems,” Larxene said. “The boss would  _ admire _ your initiative.”

“You know,” Roxas said. “From anyone else, this would sound convincing, but  _ you _ like to get people in trouble, including me.”

“We’re not people,” Larxene said. “But, hey, that’s why I’m offering to come along.”

Roxas looked at her critically. “I think I’ll wait for a mission,” He said, finally,

“What?” Larxene asked.

“I’ll wait,” Roxas repeated. “I’m already in trouble.”

“Your Heartless is a weird one,” Larxene said. “If we don’t act fast, we won’t accomplish anything.”

“What?” Roxas asked. “What do you know?”

  
“We’ve been briefed,” Larxene muttered. “Look, if you won’t come with, I’ll do it myself. Even if we don’t get the heart, at least we won’t have a Heartless trying to systematically eliminate  _ us _ .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luxord: lets go to the hollow bastion  
Axel: why  
Luxord: because. fuck you.


	53. Axel Can't Take This Man Anywhere Can He

“This isn’t good,” Xigbar said. “We’re  _ two _ short, now.”

“You were the one who found most of the Nobodies we’ve tried before,” Xemnas said. “Don’t you know any others hiding in the cracks of the universe?”

“Two,” Xigbar said. “But they’d be… risky to try and bring in. Normally, I’d trust my luck for it, but recently? I’m not sure.”

“Well, that’s the number we need, isn’t it?” Xemnas asked. “For whatever big plan I had?”

“Yes,” Xigbar allowed. “But…”

“Oh, this ought to be good.” Xemnas glared.

“We could lose four  _ more  _ if I brought them,” Xigbar said. “Just to them  _ leaving _ . I don’t know if it’s correlation or causation or  _ what _ , but if one person becomes a Nobody, at least one other person they know seems to as well.”

“So they’d see each other, and leave,” Xemnas said.

“Maybe,” Xigbar said. “I dunno if we want to risk it. Besides, I’m not sure I wouldn’t get the snot kicked out of me for interrupting someone from their thousand year solitaire binge. Again.”

Xemnas blinked. “A thousand years?”

“Yeah,” Xigbar said. “Where did you think I got these people? Left to their own devices, they had a remarkable tendency to hole up somewhere out of the way and distract themselves for as long as they could manage. Or hibernate. Demyx hibernated.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Xemnas sighed. “Okay, here’s a question. Why do we need Nobodies specifically?”

“Do you mean besides the fact that Vexen died, and therefore cannot make us any more replicas?” Xigbar asked.

“Yes,” Xemnas said. “Why do we need Nobodies for whatever we’re trying to do?”

“Okay,” Xigbar said. “You know that thing you did with Saix?”

“I’m… still not entirely sure what that  _ did _ ,” Xemnas admitted. “Beyond making him look… more like you.”

“Okay,” Xigbar said. “Well, if you did that to a  _ whole _ guy, at this point, we’d  _ probably _ end up with another Terra situation.”

Xemnas considered that. “And… we want to do that with  _ everyone _ here at some point,” He said.

“Yeah,” Xigbar said. “Actually, maybe we should kick up on that. Saix definitely got a lot stronger from it.”

“We still don’t know what happened to Vexen and Xion,” Xemnas said. “Would being stronger help?”

Xigbar shrugged. “Wouldn’t  _ hurt _ .”

~*~*~*~

Axel stood stiffly next to Luxord as Yuffie dragged Cid’s attention away from the computer.

“Come  _ on _ ,” She said. “Can’t you look away from that for two seconds?”

Cid grunted, and complained, but soon enough he turned. And stood. And walked over to Axel and Luxord.

“Hello,” Luxord said.

“Hi,” Axel squeaked.

“Lea?” Cid asked, looking Axel up and down. “Is that you?”

Axel attempted to stammer out a denial, but Cid clapped him on the shoulder and laughed.

“Great to see you again, kid! Where have you been? Who’s your friend?”

“I am Ludor,” Luxord said calmly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you… Cid?”

“That’s me,” Cid said. “Heh, did Lea tell you about me?”

“There were… a few things he neglected to mention,” Luxord said.

“Don’t do this, man,” Axel said. “Please don’t do what I think you’re doing.”

Luxord ignored him, and continued doing what Axel thought he was doing, much to the younger man’s dismay.

“Let’s just… see if they need any help at the castle,” Yuffie said.

“I’m gonna report him to HR,” Axel muttered darkly as Yuffie led him out of the building Cid was based in and towards the castle. “I’m gonna report him to HR  _ so hard _ . Like, he has to be like this with my  _ uncle _ ?”

“Oh, is that coat a  _ uniform _ ?” Yuffie asked. “You got a job, Lea? Is Isa there?”

“Yeah,” Axel said, glancing around to make sure Saix wasn’t showing up for any reason. “Yeah, Isa’s there. He’s been promoted more than me. I think it’s gone to his head.”

“And it wouldn’t have gone to yours?” Yuffie joked. “Come on, we’re almost there.”

They walked for another minute or so, before Yuffie grabbed Axel’s wrist and beginning to run.

“Squall!” She yelled. “Guess who’s here!”

The individual-- Axel refused to believe that this was Squall, Squall had been  _ young _ , and this person was practically a man-- turned.

“It’s Lea!” She said gleefully. “You remember Lea?”

“Yeah,” The person said, turning to Axel. “I… I feel like Lea was… older than this, somehow.”

“So do I,” Axel said. “Are  _ you _ really Squall? You’re-- You’re too  _ tall _ !”

“I’m, uh, actually going by Leon now,” Squall said, shooting Yuffie a venomous look. “But, yeah. That’s me.”

“I need to sit down,” Axel said. “This is too much for me. I feel old. My bones are gonna start creaking any second now.”

Squall laughed. 

~*~*~*~

“You know,” Kairi said. “I… I thought I wouldn’t feel bad about doing that, since I know what happens to them now, and also Vexen was kind of a jerk anyways.”

“Do you want to go back to the Hollow Bastion?” Riku asked. “I’m sure the others would appreciate the company.”

Kairi shook her head firmly. “No, I’m here. I’m going to stay with you.”

“You don’t have to fight next time, if you don’t wanna,” Mickey said.

“Aw, don’t say that,” Larxene said. “Come on, what’s wrong with a little dangerous combat?”

Everyone turned to look at her.

“Do you mind?” Riku asked. “We’re trying to have a conversation, here.”

“Sucks to suck,” She said, drawing a surprising amount of knives. “Let’s do this.”

Four keyblades appeared, and Donald and Goofy drew their own weapons for good measure.

“Yeet!” Larxene yelled, throwing her knives, and the fight began.

~*~*~*~

Demyx returned to the castle to see Xaldin and Lexaeus discussing something, so he approached them in order to figure out why.

“So you’re supposed to be stronger now?” Lexaeus asked.

Xaldin shrugged.

“Hey,” Demyx said. “What’s up?”

“Magic or something,” Xaldin said. “Do I look weird? Lexaeus says I look weird.”

“Well you  _ do _ ,” Lexaeus said.

Demyx studied Xaldin for a minute. “You look kind of like Xigbar or Saix,” He said finally. “You didn’t used to.”

“Told you you looked weird,” Lexaeus said.

“Huh,” Xaldin said.

“What happened, anyhow?” Demyx asked.

“Boss said he had a magic way to make me stronger,” Xaldin said. “I figured, I’m already strong, but it couldn’t hurt, especially with everything else that’s been going on.”

Demyx considered that. “Suppose it couldn’t,” He allowed.

“Personally,” Lexaeus said. “I think I’m fine without all of that. This seems a little bit like it’s the precursor to getting possessed.”

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense, too,” Demyx said. “Love working with you all, honest, but I would  _ not _ want to be a hive mind or whatever’s gonna happen if we all do this.”

“I feel  _ so _ supported,” Xaldin deadpanned.

“No, you don’t,” Demyx and Lexaeus said.

“No, I don’t,” Xaldin said. “And I wouldn’t, even if I  _ could _ feel.”

“You’re the one getting possessed, maybe,” Lexaeus said. “If the boss makes the offer to me, I think I’ll just say I’m allergic.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year!! im posting this as close to midnight my time as i can manage lmao. my new years gift to all of yall. and also to me.


	54. Death Possession And A Gratuitous Dream Sequence

“Nn,” Larxene managed. She was exhausted. Her opponents weren’t  _ much _ better off, but there were more of them, and just because they weren’t  _ much _ better off didn’t mean that they weren’t still  _ better _ . Maybe this had been a  _ bad _ idea, but so what? She just had to get…

Away.

That was an issue, considering her present situation. She lurched to the side, avoiding a strike from Riku, only to get caught by a blast of fire magic from  _ the fucking duck _ .

“I think we’re getting close,” She heard Sora say.

“I get it,” She muttered.

Her opponents paused.

“I get it, okay? This was a bad idea.” Larxene shifted her stance, more propping herself up against her own weight than actually standing. “So tell you what? I’ll go. I’ll go, and you lot don’t have to be murderers again. That  _ matters _ to you, right?”

“You won’t  _ die _ ,” Kairi said, although it sounded more like she was trying to reassure herself than anything.

“Oh, yeah?” Larxene laughed a little. “What do  _ you _ call it, then? What little  _ euphemism _ is going to make you feel better about killing me?”

“You’ll be whole again,” Sora said. “Whoever you were before--”

“What?” Larxene’s voice cracked, her eyes widening. “No, that’s  _ worse _ ! You  _ can’t _ do that to me! You’re supposed to be the  _ good _ guys!”

“What are you--” Mickey tried to ask.

“I don’t want to hurt again,” Larxene said. “I don’t want to  _ care _ again.  _ I don’t want to be her again, and you  _ ** _can’t_ ** _ make me! _ ”

“It’s--” Riku said.

“Riku, wait,” Kairi said, stepping forward.

“ _ Stay away from me _ ,” Larxene spat. Her breathing was heavy, too heavy. Belatedly, she remembered that she didn’t know how to heal herself. She’d never bothered to learn. Back in the day, Strelitzia had known how to heal Elrena, and in the Organization…

She didn’t want to follow that line of thought. She-- Her injuries ached more when she considered what that meant, what that deficit in her own abilities implied about her mind that she had ignored.

“If we let you go,” Kairi said. “What will you do?”

“ _ I’ll stay out of your shit _ ,” She said. “ _ You won’t have to face the guilt of killing me, even if I get back up again _ . _ Or does that even matter to you _ ?”

Sora and Riku moved forward, a little, as Kairi jerked away.

“Shut up,” Riku said, voice low.

Larxene… slipped, a little. Not physically, but mentally. For a moment, just a moment, she wondered if she’d be able to make it back to the castle before she succumbed to her injuries. That little mistake sealed her fate, and she…

She  _ felt _ it.

“ _ Keep sharp _ ,” She chuckled, and she fell backwards as her body began to dissipate. “ _ Else Lulu’s prob’ly gonna do to you what you’ve been doing to us, and he won’t even realize why _ . _ He’s always been a little thick, but _ …”

She didn’t finish.

She couldn’t.

~*~*~*~

“If we had my notes and equipment, I might be able to help,” Even allowed. “But I’m afraid I left that all behind. My… resignation was, well, somewhat impromptu.”

“I’m aware,” Vanitas said. “What, you saying you don’t remember how to make any of that stuff?”

“I’m not filing blueprints away in my head,” Even said. “And  _ making _ a replica is process enough, let alone transferring a heart to it.”

“It might be a bad idea to do that now, anyways,” Namine said. “The Organization could track her if she was up, couldn’t they?”

“I’m not saying we’d transfer me  _ immediately _ ,” Vanitas snapped. “I’m saying I want to be prepared for when that’s an option. Neither of us wants to share forever.”

“I can imagine,” Ienzo deadpanned.

Vanitas glared at him, but said nothing.

“Do you think the others are going to get anything else done before they come back?” Namine wondered aloud, changing the subject. “At the very least, they should get some groceries.”

“We need a way to communicate over a distance,” Ienzo decided. “That’ll make things easier in the long run, right?”

“Makes sense to me,” Namine said.

“We should get working on that,” Even said. “I don’t think we’ll have it done before they get back, or even before they might head out again, but it’s never too soon to start.”

~*~*~*~

_ For some reason, Xemnas dreamed. _

_ He was on a green plateau, lit up by a few strange, scattered lamps. It was night, and when he looked up, stars were falling. _

_ But that wasn’t the important part, was it? _

_ No, the important part was the two other people on the plateau. He hadn’t approached them, yet, but at the moment, they were teasing each other in a lighthearted sort of way. _

_ He knew those people. They were his best friends, his family. Best not to think about anyone else who might have been with them, in a perfect world. _

_ “It really felt like I’d been there before, looking up at the stars,” The shorter, younger of the two said. Been where? Xemnas found himself perplexed by the statement. _

_ “‘Cept you’ve always lived here with us,” The other said, and laughed a little, ruffling her companions hair. Somehow, Xemnas knew that that was a lie. The younger boy hadn’t always been there. He didn’t know where he’d been before. _

_ “I know,” The boy said. For a heart-stopping moment, Xemnas could think that the boy was responding to his unvoiced musings, but the kid hadn’t noticed him yet. _

_ The people before him walked to the edge of the plateau and sat, looking up at the stars. _

_ “Hey, Aqua,” The boy said. _

_ Yes, that woman was Aqua, wasn’t she? Xemnas remembered, now. How could he have forgotten? How could he have forgotten the woman he had trained alongside for so long? _

_ “Hm?” Aqua said. _

_ “You ever wonder what stars are?” The boy asked. “Where light comes from?” _

_ “Hm,” Aqua said again. Xemnas figured he should call their attention to himself. He’d been there long enough. “Well, they say--” _

_ “That every star up there is another world,” Xemnas finished, crossing the remaining distance to his longtime companions. _

_ Aqua and the boy turned to him, smiling warmly. _

_ “Terra,” Aqua said. _

~*~*~*~

Xemnas awoke in the Castle That Never Was, and looked around.

“That’s strange,” He said to the empty room. “I’ve never dreamed before.”

The room did not answer him.

That boy, in his dream, had looked so much like Roxas. Xemnas wondered if that had been a product of the process of dreaming, or…

Or if he’d been dreaming of Ventus.

The latter almost felt more likely. Aqua and Ventus had known each other, right? He’d have to check, perhaps.

Aqua… She’d called him “Terra” in the dream. Piecing together his gut feelings and sidelong mentions from Xigbar, he’d thought he’d known her himself, but in his dream he’d taken Terra’s place in that scene.

He hadn’t asked Xigbar about Aqua directly. He’d first heard her name when he’d asked about the armor, and something in the back of his mind wanted to keep it out of the other man’s mouth. Besides, it felt a little more personal, trying to remember her himself. He should have been able to, if they’d been friends, right?

His mind drifted back to that dream, where he’d been Terra. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

He decided that it would be best not to think about it, at least for the time. Pushing the thought from his mind, he reached instead for instances of the Recusant’s Sigil.

He couldn’t find Larxene, which was its own sort of trouble.

“I’m not getting any more sleep tonight,” He sighed, and stood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Death scenes are fun to write, actually. Fun fact I learned writing this whole big story.
> 
> I went out to tea today! i got strawberry vanilla flavored tea because the shop was crowded enough i didnt feel like sniffing through new teas.


	55. Saix Isn't Paid Enough To Deal With The Fact That There Isn't A Therapist On The Payroll And Aerith Commits A Murder

By the time Saix had actually gotten Wonderland  _ officially _ checked (by Xaldin, Lexaeus, and Roxas, the three of whom he considered to be the proper combination of “likely to come back” and “specializing in things the Organization could outsource”), whatever had been there was gone, or at the very least not inclined to appear to a group.

Over all, Saix considered the whole situation a complete disaster.

He stopped assigning solo missions. He knew it was a bandage solution, at best; if the technically unidentified, likely keyblade related source of the problem wanted them gone that badly, there would be another incident eventually. Still, the act of making that change…

It made everyone  _ feel _ better, which was still something Saix was coming to grips with. Ever since Xigbar had told him that Nobodies  _ could _ feel, that the notion that they were just remembering feelings had been a lie, Saix had been trying to figure out what to  _ do _ with that information. He hadn’t told any of the others. He wasn’t sure if that would be considered traitorous. But he had used that information to notice things about them, things he’d always brushed off before, things they were always brushing off.

He’d also noticed just how  _ angry _ he’d been, and for how long. He’d been letting it build up until he couldn’t contain it, pushing everything under a cold, calculated neutrality. Now, even with his newfound knowledge, he wasn’t sure how to stop. He still owed Roxas an apology, probably.

The others were worse off. Ever since Larxene’s… disappearance, Marluxia had been downright  _ ill _ . Saix had known the two to spend time together, even when they hadn’t been planning their coup, but he’d never entertained the idea that they might have been  _ friends _ before.

And now Larxene was gone, and the feelings Marluxia wasn’t acknowledging threatened to overwhelm him. That was why Saix found himself paying a visit to the room that served as Marluxia’s residence. It was exactly the same as all the other bedrooms in the castle in every way. The man’s flair did not extend beyond himself.

“Are you here to give me a mission?” Marluxia asked. His voice wasn’t weak, per se, but his illness undercut it in a way that made Saix wonder if the man before him was about to spontaneously disintegrate.

“No,” Saix said. “I’m here to tell you something.”

“Is it an update on, you know--” Marluxia gestured vaguely, indicating nothing, and by extension indicating their missing comrades.

“No,” Saix said.

Marluxia looked at him, unimpressed.

Saix allowed himself to change positions, slightly. It was a strange thing, starting to acknowledge his own emotions. The shift was an acceptance of his own discomfort, the feeling of getting to a point where he still wasn’t sure quite what to say.

Marluxia noticed the shift. “Are  _ you _ sick?” He prompted. “Is something going around?”

“No,” Saix said. “No, I don’t think so. But I think I might know why  _ you _ are.”

Marluxia considered that. “You know,” He said. “I thought we weren’t  _ supposed _ to get sick. I thought we weren’t complete enough.”

“I was told that, as well,” Saix allowed.

“I thought sick was something you  _ feel _ ,” Marluxia spat. “Though, I suppose not, if I’m sick. Can’t be  _ feeling _ as a Nobody.”

“That’s what I’m here to talk about,” Saix said.

Marluxia paused.

“Not too long ago,” Saix said. “Xigbar mentioned something to me. I believe I was meant to keep it a secret, but--”

“Saix, if  _ you’re _ about to betray the Organization for  _ me _ , I’m not going to be able to appreciate it,” Marluxia said.

Saix gave him a characteristic, deadpan glare. “Your lack of knowledge on this subject is likely a contributing factor to your condition,” He said. “As much as I can determine, telling you will benefit the Organization.”

Marluxia smirked. Saix wondered if he realized what he was doing and, if so, how he rationalized it to himself.

“Are you going to listen now?” Saix asked, voice low.

Marluxia gesture for him to go on.

“We  _ do _ have feelings. Emotions.”

Marluxia’s eyes widened. His smirk fell. His hands clenched. His whole body stiffened. “What?”

“Xigbar confirmed it. I’m… not entirely sure what he and the Superior intend to do with Kingdom Hearts, if not the stated purpose, but I’m going along with it for the time being, and you should, too.”

“Are you sure?” Marluxia asked. “Are you sure Xigbar was telling the truth?”

Saix nodded.

Marluxia began to shake.

“Should I go?” Saix asked.

“She  _ died _ , Saix,” Marluxia said. “My sister-- She  _ died _ , and  _ he _ told us we wouldn’t have to  _ grieve _ . He took our hearts so we wouldn’t have to feel like this, and now it’s just  _ me  _ and you’re saying it was all for  _ nothing _ ?”

“Marluxia, I have been aware of this for a week and a half,” Saix said. “I am  _ not _ in any condition to sort anyone else out. I’m… I’m  _ sorry _ .”

Marluxia didn’t answer.

~*~*~*~

Sora, Kairi, Riku, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey arrived back at the Hollow Bastion and did, in fact, decide to do some grocery shopping before heading back to the base they’d set up deep in the castle.

That was how they ran into Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, and  _ Axel _ .

“Oh, hey!” Yuffie said brightly. “Have you all met Lea yet?”

The six of them who’d just gotten back from Wonderland looked around at each other, and then to Axel, who was looking like he’d rather be somewhere else.

“Yeah,” Kairi said finally. “I assume you’re talking about this man, right here, with the spiky red hair.”

“That’s him,” Leon agreed.

“Yeah, we’ve met this guy,” Riku said.

“Uh,” Axel said. “These people do not like me.”

“What?” Aerith looked between him and the group, confused. “But Sora likes  _ everyone _ .”

“Yeah,” Leon said. “He likes  _ me _ , and I beat him up the first time we met.”

“Yeah, and I met him and his friends through work, where I am employed and he is  _ not _ , which is never a good start.” Axel rubbed the back of his head. “I should… really go collect Ludor and get back to work, by the way.”

“What are you  _ supposed _ to be doing right now?” Riku asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Sh-- Wow, you look like my boss when you do that,” Axel said.

“That wasn’t the question,” Donald said.

“Uh,” Axel said, sweating nervously. “ _ Technically _ , the same thing I was supposed to be doing the last time I saw any of you, but screw that, honestly.”

“What was that about not promising incompetence?” Kairi asked.

“Look,” Axel said. “If I put up even a  _ token _ effort right now, that’d be the end of it. Much as some people might disagree, I am not a  _ complete _ moron.”

“Just half of one,” Riku said.

Axel sputtered. “Okay,” He said. “ _ That _ was  _ uncalled for _ \-- I don’t--  _ No one asked _ \--”

Riku didn’t notice. He was too busy high fiving Mickey.

“Is there something we’re missing here, or…?” Yuffie looked at Axel.

“Riku is earning a right to be called words that I will not be saying in front of you lot,” Axel said stiffly. “I’ve got to set  _ some _ sort of good example.”

“Lea,” Aerith said soothingly. “No one has ever expected you to do that.”

Everyone paused, trying to process that.

Kairi doubled over laughing.

“You are all so mean to me, personally,” Axel eventually declared. “I know exactly what I did to deserve it, but I’m still mad.”

Sora, Kairi, Riku, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey gave Axel a long, hard look.

“Anyways, I have to go,” Axel said. “As I mentioned earlier, I do, technically, have work.”

“I think Ludor is not going to be ready to leave,” Leon said. “From what Yuffie said--”

“La la la la la!” Axel said, covering his ears. “That’s enough on that, Squall! I don’t need to hear it! I want to pretend I don’t know for as long as I can!”

“Ignorance is bliss,” Yuffie agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today we roast Axel in honor of Larxene, who is presently unable to do so herself. She would have preferred to be involved, but she is unfortunately not around at this time, on account of being a little bit dead. I'm sure she would appreciate him being roasted regardless.


	56. The Guy Who Fixes The Bullshit Detectors Dropped By

Xigbar opened the door to the small, out of the way hut that housed one of the back-up plans to maintaining the predicted order of the universe, and stepped inside.

The Nobody sitting at the table didn’t look up from her rapid note-taking, but  _ did _ grunt in acknowledgement.

“So,” He said, sitting down across from her. “Do you have any idea what it  _ might _ be?”

“No,” She said. “Are you  _ sure _ it had these letters? Because I’m working with  _ five _ consonants and  _ one _ vowel. None of this sounds like words.”

“Pretty sure,” He said.

Privately, Xigbar would admit to himself that part of the reason he’d been hesitant to bring her to the Organization was because he couldn’t figure out what to call her if he did.

“Screw it,” She said, throwing down her pen. “I’ll pick a  _ new _ name.”

“That--” Xigbar tried.

“I know,” She said. “It’s a great idea. I don’t know why we didn’t think of it earlier. I’ll be… Dusk! No, that’s those wiggly guys… Uh…”

“Dextra?” Xigbar proposed.

“Hm, nah,” She said. “Skull? But that sounds so threatening, huh…”

“Lexis?”

“No, that doesn’t feel right either.”

“Ixia?”

“That name’s too good, somebody probably already has it.”

“My son has the same name as somebody else,” Xigbar said. “That’s not really an issue.”

Technically, Ventus had the same name as a different incarnation of himself, but that was beside the point. Things would be so much simpler if she would just  _ accept _ a name with an ‘X’ in it.

Her Somebody had been named after her previous incarnation, as well, and Luxu had manipulated circumstances so that she and Ven would end up with different teachers before he’d even been  _ Braig _ . Best they didn’t meet until one or both of them could be properly awoken, and he could keep track of the rest of the successors in their modern forms.

“Hm,” She said. “I guess, for the time being, I can be… Dawn! If we come up with a better name I can go with that.”

“Dawn? Really?” He sighed. “Are you sure that suits you?”

“What do you know?” She stuck her tongue out at him. “You haven’t visited me in almost  _ two years _ .”

“Ah,” He said, a little awkwardly. She’d been keeping track? “I got… caught up in work.”

“You missed two of my birthdays and you owe me presents for them,” She said simply.

“Missed two-- You don’t even know when your birthday  _ is _ .”

“You also missed me deciding it was the day I woke up  _ there _ .” Dawn stood, stretching. “That’s a good day, right? It’s important, if nothing else.”

“I… suppose,” Xigbar allowed. “So… what do you want for your birthdays?”

“A clock would be nice,” She said. “Or, I’d like to see my friends again.”

“Right,” Xigbar said. “Lea and Isa always snuck in to see you, didn’t they?”

She nodded.

“Oh, here’s a name idea; Aptnexti.”

She rolled it around on her tongue for a few moments. “Nah,” She decided. “I like Dawn.”

~*~*~*~

Axel refused to explain what had happened until they were away from the world formerly known as the Radiant Garden. When the words came tumbling out of his mouth, Luxord listened placidly.

“They’re all shuffled together, are they?” The man said, finally.

Axel nodded.

“Well, not much to do, there,” Luxord allowed. “We should return to the Castle That Never Was, and report this. We can hardly be expected to deal with  _ all _ of them, now, can we?”

“I suppose not,” Axel said. “Still, it feels kinda anticlimactic.”

“A climax in this situation would likely have resulted in one or both of us folding from the hand,” Luxord said. “Anticlimactic is sometimes the better outcome.”

Axel thought about that for a long moment as Luxord prepared a dark corridor for them to travel through. “Where do you get the things you say sometimes?” He asked. “You sound like a fortune cookie whenever you stop making gambling metaphors, and even sometimes when you don’t.”

Luxord laughed. “An old friend,” He said. “We’d best hurry. Easier to get this over with.”

Axel nodded, and the pair passed through the corridor.

The blinding white of the Castle That Never Was hurt Axel’s eyes after he’d been away for so long. Luxord had brought them into the main room, interrupting an argument between Saix and Demyx.

Saix turned, looking between them, and Axel felt something different in his demeanor. He really  _ had _ been away for too long. “Another failure?” Saix asked.

“She’s too well guarded,” Luxord said. “If I were asked to place a bet, and choose Axel and I versus Kairi, Sora, Riku, Donald, Goofy, and the king, well…”

“I see,” Saix said. “I will discuss things with the Superior. If I am correct about his motivations, then I doubt he will order her retrieval at this point.”

“If that’s the case, I’d like to search for Xion,” Axel said.

Saix’s expression shifted to something equally unreadable, and Axel realized that that had been the wrong thing to say.

“I will ask,” Saix said stiffly, and left.

“Thanks for getting him out of here,” Demyx said. “Dude was getting on me about my work ethic again, like-- Come on, man, the work got  _ done _ , didn’t it?”

“When did Saix get a heart?” Axel asked, watching the exit that his old friend had taken.

“What?” Demyx and Luxord looked at him, nonplussed.

“He’s emoting like his Somebody used to,” Axel said. “He was never the most obvious, but--”

“No, actually, now that you mention it, yeah,” Demyx said. “He’s been acting kinda weird for a while now. I thought he was just tired.”

“If Saix has a heart, what does that mean for the rest of us?” Luxord asked.

“Obviously he doesn’t have a  _ heart _ !” Demyx said, although he almost seemed more like he was talking to himself. “None of us have  _ hearts _ , none of us  _ feel _ , that’s the whole  _ point _ !”

“Maybe it’s not,” Axel said.

“If we can feel, then what are we  _ doing _ ?” Demyx demanded, tears welling up at the corners of his eyes as he grabbed Axel’s arms.

“Being played, perhaps,” Luxord suggested, voice barely above a whisper. “How many of us do you think it would take to  _ call _ that bluff?”

“I think if the three of us tried, there’s like a fifty percent chance Saix would join us?” Axel suggested. “Larxene might, too.”

“Uh, Axel?” Demyx said. “Larxene’s  _ gone _ . Her and Vexen, both. We still don’t know what happened.”

“I’m gonna guess it had something to do with the organized murder children and process that later,” Axel decided. “So, do we think Marluxia would be in on the whole ‘demanding to know our leaderships true motivations’ thing, or what?”

“Might,” Demyx allowed. “He got sick after Larxene disappeared, though, and he’s not entirely better yet.”

“We can wait,” Luxord said. “I’d rather go into this with a  _ plan _ , in any case.”

“Planning a betrayal  _ is _ something Marluxia has more experience with than the rest of us,” Axel said. “We should talk to him.”

“I was thinking we just let some keyblade person in and stand back, but I wouldn’t say no to a  _ better _ plan,” Demyx said.

“What would we do, walk up to Sora and try not to get killed by everyone for long enough to convince them we’re mad about being duped?” Axel asked. “No thanks.”

“I… wasn’t thinking of Sora or them,” Demyx said.

“Who  _ were _ you thinking of?” Luxord asked.

  
Demyx shuffled his feet. “Well, I’m not really sure I can  _ introduce _ you, but… I made a friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The introduction of Dawn! AKA, Subject X. She's fun to write, I like her.
> 
> Also! Axel, Luxord, and Demyx have officially formed traitor squad 2, the one that has nothing to do with Castle Oblivion. Most people are just gonna be calling it traitor squad, though. It's like when the sequel has the same title as the original.


	57. Cool Keyblade Masters Don't Look At Pete

“Seriously, don’t worry about it,” Kairi said. “Even if we  _ wanted _ to get into a debate about whether Nobodies count as the same person as their Somebodies, which we-- actually, that sounds interesting. Maybe we  _ should _ do that sometime.”

“I think I’ll say they don’t,” Sora said. “Roxas is definitely a different guy from me.”

“Your situation is already atypical, however,” Ienzo said.

“Well, then what’s  _ your _ opinion?” Vanitas asked.

“I--” Ienzo began, and then paused. “I was  _ going _ to say I thought Zexion was the same as me, but I just remembered that  _ he _ didn’t.”

“Yeah, that’s what it sounded like he was saying,” Kairi agreed.

The three scientists dissolved into debate.

“ _ I’m _ not going to try to follow that conversation,” Vanitas said. “Let’s go to the colosseum next.”

“Oh, yeah!” Sora said. “It’ll be nice to see Herc again, it’s been a while.”

“I don’t think that’s what he meant,” Riku said. “Also, I think Hercules might still be mad at me.”

~*~*~*~

Roxas and Demyx looked at each other.

“So we’ve got a mission, huh?” Demyx said.

“Looks like,” Roxas agreed.

“Let’s get it over with, then,” Demyx said.

“Yeah,” Roxas said. He sounded kind of distant, like he was thinking about something else.

“Hey, Roxas, you still in there?” Demyx asked, knocking lightly on the boy’s head.

“Wh-- Oh, yeah,” Roxas said. “Yeah, I’m here.”

“Great,” Demyx said. “Then let’s see how you’re doing with your corridors. We’re going to Halloween Town, right? Lead the way.”

Roxas bit his lip, and raised a hand.

After a moment, a dark corridor sputtered to life in front of them, and they passed through.

Demyx looked around.

“Roxas,” He said.

“Yes,” Roxas said.

“This isn’t Halloween Town,” Demyx said.

“Doesn’t look like it,” Roxas agreed.

“So why are we here?”

“I don’t know. I was thinking of Halloween Town.”

They weren’t anywhere that either of them had been sent on a mission. They were about two feet away from the stairs leading up to the door of Yen Sid’s tower.

As they bickered about what had happened, and what they should do next, they were approached by a large, vaguely cat-looking man.

“What are  _ you _ doing here?” Pete demanded.

“You know, we’re not really sure ourselves,” Demyx said.

“Ah, I don’t care about you,” Pete said, waving Demyx aside. “I want to know why  _ he’s _ here.” He pointed at Roxas.

“Why are  _ you _ here?” Roxas shot back, sticking out his tongue.

“Why, I oughtta--”

“Hey,” Demyx said. “Hey. How do you two know each other?”

“This little  _ brat _ keeps ruining my plans!” Pete declared.

“It’s not my fault your plans involve making Heartless,” Roxas said. “I’m just doing my job.”

“Mm, killing Heartless  _ is _ his job,” Demyx agreed. “Sounds like you’re trying to raise an army, right? There are other things you can use.”

“Aagh! You just don’t get it!” Pete roared, stamping his feet.

“No,” Demyx agreed.

“Did you bring any Heartless with you?” Roxas asked.

“I’ll turn  _ you _ into Heartless!” Pete declared angrily.

“No, no you won’t,” Demyx said, snapping his fingers. A small group of dancers appeared, a collection of dusks on their heels. “Come on, Roxas, let’s get out of here.”

The door to the tower opened.

“Hey,” Aqua said, gesturing at the whole scene. “What?”

~*~*~*~

“Sir, you seem rather… hung up, on this dream,” Saix said. “If you  _ want _ to talk about it--”

Xemnas waved vaguely, and Saix cut off. The man was pouring over a collection of maps, muttering.

“Are you sure that place is real, Sir?” Saix asked.

“It doesn’t have to be,” Xemnas said. “I just have to find it.”

“Sir--”

“I know I didn’t make it up, Saix.” Xemnas clenched his fists, crumpling parts of a few of the maps. “I-- Where is Roxas?”

“He and Demyx are on a mission to Halloween Town, Sir.”

Xemnas hissed.

Saix began to wonder how he hadn’t noticed the ‘emotions’ thing himself.

Xemnas dropped the maps. “I’m going to Castle Oblivion,” He said. “When Roxas returns, bring him to me.”

Saix barely managed to stammer out a “Yes, Sir,” before he left.

~*~*~*~

“And that’s what happened,” Demyx said.

“I see, I see,” Aqua said. “Yeah, hold on a second.”

She summoned a keyblade and knocked Pete about fifty feet into the air.

“Wow,” Roxas said, very quietly. “She’s  _ cool _ .”

“You’re Roxas, right?” Aqua said, turning to him as Pete fell to earth like a furious meteor, scattering Nobodies on impact. “I’ve heard about you.”

“Wha-- From who?” Demyx asked. “I didn’t tell you his name, I’m pretty sure.”

“I’ve, uh, been here before,” Roxas said. “When I left, that time.”

Demyx considered that, before grabbing the handles of Roxas’ chair. “Well Aqua it’s been lovely visiting but we  _ really _ need to get back to work bye.”

“Wh-- Aqua?” Roxas asked.

“Sorry, can’t introduce you,” He said. “We’re  _ supposed _ to be in Halloween Town. If they realize you’re somewhere you went  _ that time _ \--”

“Demyx,” Roxas complained.

Demyx summoned a dark corridor, and pushed Roxas through it.

“That was Aqua…?” Roxas muttered.

“Yeah,” Demyx said. “What, you’ve heard of her?”

“Yeah,” Roxas said. “Yeah, I have.”

~*~*~*~

Xemnas approached Aqua’s armor, picking up the helmet from where it had been left on the chair. “Where is it, Aqua?” He asked aloud. “That Land of Departure. Where is it? Was I even  _ there _ ?”

The armor, as always, did not answer. It was empty, with no spirit tied or drawn to it, which Xemnas supposed should have been a comfort. Really, all it was was empty.

“How did I know you?” Xemnas asked. “I thought we might have been friends, but was I just deluding myself?”

Silence.

“Of course I was,” He sighed. “I said it myself, didn’t I? Sora’s the first person I’ve made a good impression on in a long, long time.”

The other apprentices… had admired his drive to learn, to discover. But they’d never really  _ liked _ him, had they? Simply followed along because he acted like he had some idea what he was doing.

  
“Who  _ was _ I, Aqua?” Xemnas sighed. “Do I even want to be that person again?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me, banging on Nomura's door: I think Aqua deserves more cool moments when she's in the Realm of Light. Mr Nomura. Open this door and hire m


	58. Sometimes You Just Need To Hang Out With A Buddy Or Two

After their mission at Halloween Town, and after dropping Roxas back off at the Castle That Never Was, Demyx went to visit Aqua again. It was risky, sure; he still didn’t know what had happened to the others, and he could get in trouble for going off on his own at that point, but he had a lot on his mind and Aqua was a very smart person who he considered a friend.

She wasn’t directly in front of the tower when he arrived, so he opted to check other places around it where they’d met up.

It was by the cliff, where he found something interesting.

A blonde woman in something that almost approximated a proper uniform, lying passed out on the ground. There was something about her that reminded Demyx of…

“Larxene?” He muttered.

She didn’t move. Demyx knelt, shaking her.

“Hey, wake up.”

Nothing.

“Ugh, I’m going to have to  _ carry _ you, aren’t I?” He groaned. Still, he lifted her and carried her back to the tower.

Aqua still wasn’t outside, so Demyx set Possibly-Larxene down for a moment to knock on the door.

It opened, slowly. No one was there.

“Okay,” Demyx decided. “That’s weird and creepy, and I don’t like it at all, but whatever, right?”

He picked up Possibly-Larxene again and entered the tower.

“Aqua?” He called. “Are you there?”

The door slammed shut behind him, and he turned. An older man in wizard’s robes stood there, glaring at him. “Why are you here?” He demanded.

“Uh,” Demyx said. “Is this an explanation I’m going to have a chance to finish before you kill me?”

“If you talk quickly enough,” The wizard said.

Demyx took a deep breath. “A couple’a months ago I was in the area just to get out of the work environment because everything was honestly sucking and I met Aqua and we started hanging out--” Gasp “--and now today I needed to talk to her but I found this woman who looks suspiciously like one of my dead coworkers and Aqua told me there’s a coma guy where she’s been staying which seems to be here so I thought she could help.”

The wizard’s gaze did not soften, but he glanced to Probably-Larxene. “That woman should be up in a minute or so,” He said. “I will determine what to do with her then.  _ You _ are to leave and not return, Nobody.”

“But I--”

“Your presence here is a threat,” The wizard said. “And I do not tolerate threats in my tower.”

Demyx hesitated a few moments longer, but he set Probably-Larxene gently on the floor and opened a dark corridor. “I’ll leave her here,” He said. “But only because I trust  _ Aqua _ , and if she’s staying here I’m willing to assume  _ she _ trusts you. Give her my regards.”

Then he left.

He’d have to figure out how to avoid that wizard.

~*~*~*~

“Roxas,” Xemnas said. “You need bring Ventus out.”

“I--” Roxas said, but stopped as he looked to the intensity of his boss’ expression.

“It is important,” Xemnas said. “I need to speak with him.”

“I’ll… try,” Roxas said, and closed his eyes.

Ventus’ heart objected to the idea. Images of an older man flashed in Roxas’ mind by way of explanation, as did a name. Xehanort.

“ _ Come on _ ,” Roxas muttered. “ _ Please _ .”

Finally, after a bit more beating around the bush, Roxas felt his body slip away from him.

~*~*~*~

Ventus awoke, head pounding, to a hand on his shoulder.

“Ugh,” He groaned.

“Are you alright?”

The voice was… familiar, but he’d never heard it before. It was almost in the middle of a scale between Terra’s and…

Ventus jerked backwards, yelping.

The man in front of him was not Xehanort, or at the very least he did not appear to be, although they looked remarkably similar. He also looked genuinely concerned.

“Where am I?” Ventus asked.

“This place is known as Castle Oblivion,” The man said. “My name is Xemnas. I have a few questions for you.”

Ventus tried to grasp Roxas’ feelings on the subject. He didn’t… He didn’t think the other boy necessarily  _ trusted _ this man, but he certainly felt as though he listened to him.

“Can you walk?” Xemnas asked him.

“I…” Ventus said. “I  _ could _ , but I… haven’t tried recently. This-- This isn’t  _ my _ body, is it?”

“That it is not,” Xemnas said. “Do you know how to use that chair?”

“What’s to it?” Ventus asked.

Xemnas didn’t seem to have a direct answer to that. Instead, he turned and began to walk away. “Can you come over here, please?” He asked, finally.

Ventus grabbed the wheels and began to propel himself forward. It was awkward for him, and he felt Roxas getting a  _ little _ frustrated at his pace, but he managed it.

Xemnas had set up a table, and spread a variety of papers across it. The angle was such that Ventus couldn’t see the papers all that well. Xemnas, apparently, noticed, and waved his hand, causing the table to shorten to a more accessible height.

“I need you to tell me if you recognize these places, and, if so, where they are,” He said.

Ventus looked over the table.

“Well,” He allowed, gathering up a few pictures. Some looked  _ almost _ like photographs, but most did not. “These are from the Keyblade Graveyard. It’s on the opposite side of Disney Town from the Enchanted Dominion, somewhere.”

Xemnas nodded.

~*~*~*~

“Sora!” Hercules said brightly. “Donald! Goofy!”

“Hey, Herc!” Sora said.

“Who are your friends? And… brother?”

“Riku, Mickey, and Vanitas,” Sora explained. “We would have brought Kairi, too, but she was busy.”

“You here to train?”

“Well--” Vanitas said.

“Yeah!” Sora said.

“Sora, we--” Riku tried.

“Come on!” Sora said, gesturing for everyone to follow as he and Hercules rushed off to the colosseum.

“You get used to it,” Donald said, marching off.

“Sure do,” Riku sighed, a bit of a smile on his face.

“You’re  _ weird _ ,” Vanitas informed him.

“I’ve been called worse.” Riku shrugged. “Come on, let’s get moving. We want to stick together.”

“ _ You _ want to stick together,” Vanitas muttered petulantly, but he still followed the others as they made their way to the arena.

Sora and Hercules were already sparring by the time he arrived, and he perched at the base of a statue to watch them, idly.

Xion wanted to join them, a little bit. He turned his focus inward to her. They’d left her chair at the lab, and the act of switching places would probably prompt too much concern for the match to continue, even if she  _ did _ manage to remember why she’d insisted on taking control.

“Hey, guys!” Sora called. “Why don’t you join us?”

“What, like a free for all?” Riku asked.

Sora nodded.

“Sure, why not?” Riku summoned his own blade and walked into the arena.

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy followed.

Sora gave Vanitas a quizzical look. “You gonna sit this one out?”

“No,” Vanitas decided, standing. “I just could have sworn Riku’s… weapon was a different shape.”

Everyone, including Riku, looked at Riku’s keyblade.

“Hey, that happened,” He said.

Vanitas summoned his own keyblade and walked into the arena. He, shot Sora a look, before turning to Riku, entering a combat stance and smirking. “Shall we dance?”

Riku dropped into a stance of his own. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demyx: As a Nobody, I don't feel emotions  
Demyx: Anyways these are all the attachments that would get me banned from the entire Star Wars universe by Yoda himself
> 
> Riku's blade is finally, like, key shaped. It's officially a keyblade. Congratulations, Riku!


	59. Analysis Of The Ventus Diagram

Elrena eventually opened her eyes on her own, and stood, looking around. She was in a strange, unfamiliar room. She had been resting in an armchair in one corner of it, and there was a bed in the corner across from her.

In the bed was Ventus, half buried in a mound of various accessories and fast asleep.

She walked over to him, and reached out to shake his shoulder, stopping barely before she touched him. He wouldn’t wake up, she realized. His heart was probably still with Roxas, unless the other boy had somehow managed to die since Larxene had.

Die.

Like Strelitzia had.

Elrena stiffened, closing her eyes tightly. It had been a long time, hadn’t it? That wound shouldn’t feel so fresh.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

Elrena did not turn to the unfamiliar voice. “Why am I here?” She asked.

“I was told that you were found nearby,” The man said. “The Nobody that found you brought you here, for some reason I have yet to identify.”

“Nobody?” Elrena’s eyes snapped open, and she turned. “What kind?”

The man was old, and probably a wizard. His face was drawn into a permanent frown. “A Nobody from the group known as Organization XIII,” He said. “I have not taken an interest in learning their names.”

“Was his hair pink?” She demanded, moving towards the wizard.

He shook his head, and turned. “Aqua will be up shortly with something to eat. The two of you can discuss your questions then.”

Then he left.

“Bastard,” Elrena said, calmly.

The door did, in fact, open again a few minutes later, admitting a blue haired woman carrying two plates of food. “Hey,” She said. “I’m Aqua. What’s your name?”

“Elrena,” Elrena said, taking one of the plates. “The old man said… a Nobody brought me here?”

“That’s what he told me, too,” Aqua said. “I… We’d been friends for a little while, actually. I wasn’t  _ positive _ about… you know… but I guess I had my suspicions.”

“So, which one was he?” Elrena asked.

“Demyx,” Aqua said.

“Demyx?” Elrena chuckled. “I can hardly imagine  _ him _ carrying someone somewhere.”

“He likes to take it easy,” Aqua agreed.

The two ate in silence, for a little while.

“I understand if it’s something you don’t want to talk about,” Aqua said. “But what’s the Organization like?”

“Pretty strict, honestly,” Elrena said. “And, like, I know Xemnas is  _ technically _ in charge? But sometimes it seemed like Xigbar was calling the shots.”

“Mhm,” Aqua said. “I see.”

“Old man wanted to know?” Elrena asked.

Aqua chuckled awkwardly. “Yeah. Although, I had a few things I was curious about myself.”

“I’m privy to Larxene’s memories,” Elrena said, “But she didn’t pay much attention to a lot of things.”

“Do you know if it’s possible for there to be two different versions of the same person? Outside of the whole ‘Nobody’ thing, I mean.” Aqua asked. “I checked Master Yen Sid’s library, but I didn’t find anything.”

“What, like a replica?” Elrena asked. “Oh, you’re talking about Ven.”

Aqua nodded. “… Replica?”

“Vexen made them,” Elrena said. “Duplicates of people. He  _ was _ trying to make one of Roxas’ Somebody, at one point. Dunno how well he did, but that was before we got Xion.”

“What’s Xion like?”

“Probably dead, like Larxene,” Elrena said.

“Maybe,” Aqua said. “Next time we get a visitor would  _ probably _ be someone who’d know what happened to her, since Master Yen Sid found out about Demyx, and all.”

“Yeah, probably,” Elrena agreed.

They paused for a while, then, eating.

“How do you know Ven?” Aqua asked.

“Lauriam, mostly,” Elrena said. “They worked together. It’s weird, though. Lauriam and I’ve aged, and he seems  _ younger  _ now.” She nodded towards him, on the bed.

“He aged a bit since I met him,” Aqua said. “Although, not since he’s been asleep.”

“Hm,” Elrena said. “Guess you were onto something, with your two Ventus’ theory.”

“And that’s not even  _ talking _ about Vanitas,” Aqua agreed.

Elrena blinked. “… Who?”

~*~*~*~

“I think that’s everywhere,” Ventus said. “Is that all?”

“I…” Xemnas looked over the newly organized stacks of paper. “I want to know about Terra.”

“Oh,” Ventus said, awkwardly. “Any…  _ particular _ reason?”

Xemnas did not answer.

“We… We trained together,” Ventus offered. “Terra, and Aqua, and me. He was really cool, I looked up to him a lot.”

Still, Xemnas did not speak.

“I… I don’t know what happened to him, when, uh…” Ventus struggled for the words to explain what had happened.

“When your heart left your body,” Xemnas said, very quietly.

“Yeah, that,” Ventus agreed lamely.

“Do you know why that happened?”

Ventus looked up at Xemnas. The man’s expression was distant, as though he was looking into the past that Ventus was describing. Then again, maybe he was; Ventus had met people with stranger abilities, after all, he was pretty sure.

“When Vanitas and I fought, our hearts… attempted to merge? I guess?” Ventus tried. “I mean, they’d originally been one, but they hadn’t been for a while.”

Xemnas nodded. His expression didn’t change, per se, but Ventus felt like it was an indication of understanding.

“They didn’t fit together anymore,” Ventus said. He wasn’t sure why he said it, at first, but then once he had it felt… right. “Yeah, they didn’t. Like, the part of my heart that he used to be had grown back, at least a little bit, and some part of him had grown since then, too.”

“I see…” Xemnas said. “I… Yes, that fits.”

“I guess when I left my body behind, I… slept,” Ventus said. “And now I’m more awake again, but he’s not here.”

“I’d doubt he’s in your body, either,” Xemnas said. “I’ve… heard tell, of it’s condition, I suppose.”

“Mm,” Ventus said, a little awkwardly.

“Tell me, Ventus,” Xemnas said. “Have you ever heard of a boy named Sora?”

“Sora?” Ventus repeated. “I mean, it’s complicated, we… Well, it was heart stuff. I’m not entirely sure what happened.”

“I see,” Xemnas said. “I ask, because Sora is an acquaintance of mine. At one point, he introduced me to an individual named Vanitas, as well.”

Roxas’ heart reacted to this new information like it was electricity. Ventus, if possible, was even  _ more _ shocked. “What?”

“When first mentioning him, he misidentified Vanitas as a Nobody,” Xemnas continued. “But eventually, he referred to him as ‘the emo phase’ that you never had.”

“That… is one way to put it?” Ventus allowed. “I guess? So… you met Vanitas, huh? I wonder how much he’s changed.”

“He seemed… tempered, somewhat, I suppose, from what I was expecting.” Xemnas provided.

“Maybe he got some therapy,” Ventus said. “It’d probably be good for him. Or, maybe someone just convinced him to behave himself for a little while.”

“I would not know,” Xemnas said. “If he  _ did _ get therapy, I think the Organization could stand to talk to whoever  _ gave _ it to him.”

“You would know better than I would,” Ventus said. “Can… Can we be done here?”

Xemnas looked hesitant. “I suppose,” He allowed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elrena! *applause*
> 
> Next chapter we meet some of the characters who got prematurely revealed in the Chanukah special. This is (part of) why I warned for spoilers on it. There are still more people in it that aren't gonna be in here for a while, yet.
> 
> *Does ctrl+f to check where a character's name first appears*
> 
> Yeah... a while........ That one guy who wrote for Leverage would be so disappointed in me, if he could see this. I was going to say something like "fortunately he's not going to be reading my Kingdom Hearts fanfic lmao" but. I don't know his life. He might be reading my Kingdom Hearts fanfic.
> 
> Hi dude, if you're here. I broke your writing rules, but I have a permit.


	60. 1000 Years Is A Long Time But A Sufficiently Advanced Solitaire Binge Is Even Longer

Aqua insisted on taking Elrena with her the next time Yen Sid mader her take a walk.

“It’ll be good for her,” She insisted, when the wizard gave her a quizzical look. “Get some fresh air, and all.”

Elrena had honestly been  _ glad _ to get out out of the tower for a little while. Between the angry wizard and the unconscious Ventus, it kind of gave her the creeps.

“So, what do  _ you  _ usually do on walks?” She asked. “Or is it literally just wandering around for half an hour? Because that sounds boring as hell.”

“Well,” Aqua said. “Usually, Demyx shows up, honestly.”

“Oh, that’ll be  _ fun _ ,” Elrena said. “Wonder what he’ll think of me.”

“What are you expecting?” Demyx asked from behind them. “Jubilation or terror?”

They turned.

“He always do that?” Elrena asked.

Aqua shrugged. “Not  _ always _ .”

“So,” Demyx looked at Elrena. “You’re…  _ not _ Larxene, huh.”

“Guess not,” Elrena said. “You’re not… Damn, actually, what  _ was _ your Somebody’s name?”

Demyx shrugged. “If he were around, he might remember,” He said. “But  _ I _ don’t, so…”

“It’s not that important, right?” Aqua said. “Anyways, how’ve you been, dude?”

“Realizing I’ve been being lied to for a presently unknowable amount of time,” Demyx said. “I need  _ advice _ , y’all.”

“Feelings advice, or betraying the Organization advice?” Elrena asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Demyx admitted.

“Don’t get a plan with any one person as the lynchpin,” Elrena said. “If one person exiting the situation prematurely will ruin your plan, it’s a bad plan.”

“My advice is let me into your job and tell me who to hit,” Aqua said, holding up her keyblade.

“Hm,” Demyx said. “Those are two very good pieces of advice.”

“You might want more than one person on hitting duty,” Elrena said, holding up her own keyblade. “Fortunately, I also volunteer.”

Demyx nodded. “I believe in both of your abilities to hit things,” He said. “I still have to sell Axel, Luxord, and possibly Marluxia on the hitting plan, though.”

“ _ Axel _ is in  _ your  _ traitor squad?” Elrena asked. “That is  _ so _ unfair!”

“Uh,” Demyx said. “I’m pretty sure  _ I’m _ more in  _ Axel and Luxord’s _ traitor squad, and they were coming up with a plan to talk Marluxia into it, but…”

“Oh, Marluxia’s gonna join the  _ hell  _ out of your traitor squad,” Elrena said. “Like, no question. Bring  _ me _ up if he waffles, but he’ll be in it.”

“Cool, cool,” Demyx said. “You know, the way things are going, we might just want to poll  _ everyone _ for interest.”

“Don’t poll Xigbar for interest,” Elrena said. 

“Oh, that’s the guy you said might be  _ secret _ in-charge, right?” Aqua said.

“Oh, shit?” Demyx blinked. “That… lines up, actually? Do you two even need to hit anyone who is  _ not _ Xigbar?”

They shrugged.

“Fair enough,” Demyx said. “I’m gonna pop back to the castle and check back in with traitor squad. Good talk.”

“Yeah, great to see you,” Aqua said.

~*~*~*~

Roxas woke up on a soft bench in Castle Oblivion, chair nearby. He groaned as he sat up, and considered the merits of getting into his chair versus not going anywhere. 

Xemnas was still nearby, pouring over his collection of papers. He seemed utterly absorbed in the work, as though he had forgotten that he was not alone in the room.

Roxas got into his chair and began to roll out of the room.

“Before you go,” Xemnas said.

Roxas froze.

“Send Marluxia, next time you see him.”

“Yes, sir,” Roxas said, and fled the room.

~*~*~*~

Caudaxta looked up from the cards in front of her as footsteps approached.

“Who’s there?” She asked.

Only one person was supposed to know where she was; the man who had nursed her back to health and brought her there to wait for him to find the brother she barely remembered but sorely missed.

A different man entered, and Caudaxta’s eyes widened.

She’d met him, a few times, she was sure, but he’d been her age, then, hadn’t he? Now he stood taller, if more tired, and he’d  _ definitely _ aged more than she had, and his silver hair had clearly dulled to a grayer color, even in the unnatural light of her cave-like shelter.

“You’re Strelitzia’s Nobody,” He said, almost breathlessly.

“I’m  _ Caudaxta _ ,” She said. “I… I  _ know _ you. Who are you?”

“I’m Ephemer,” He said. “Listen, uh, Caudaxta. Luxu brought you here, right?”

“I… didn’t catch his name,” She admitted. “But he’s looking for my brother.”

“Oh, good,” Ephemer sighed in relief. “You remember Lauriam. That helps.”

Lauriam. That  _ had _ been her brother’s name. She nodded, a little.

“Well, anyways,” Ephemer said. “Luxu lied to you. He knew where your brother was the whole time. He… Oh, where do I even  _ begin _ ?”

“I almost died!” Caudaxta said. “He saved my life!”

“Oh, yeah, that’s what he told you, huh?” Ephemer chuckled. “He gave Xepherem a similar spiel, and he believed it, too. Let me guess, you were attacked by a figure shrouded in shadow, too, right?”

“I… don’t remember,” Caudaxta said. “There’s a lot I don’t remember.”

Ephemer looked at the cards in front of her. “What are those?”

“I’ve been playing solitaire, to pass the time,” She said. “It’s quite the time killer.”

“Well,” Ephemer said. “It’s better than Xepherem’s thousand year  _ Bejeweled _ binge, I guess.”

“Hey, what?” Caudaxta asked. “A thousand years? Who  _ is _ this guy that he can live a thousand years?”

“It’s… a long story,” Ephemer said. “He was to me what you are to Strelitzia.”

“Your ‘Nobody’?” She asked. “What…  _ is _ that?”

Ephemer hesitated, before taking a deep breath, sighing. “Alright, yeah, I can explain that,” He said. “If Luxu comes back, I’ll figure out what to do from there.”

~*~*~*~

“Sora and them are going around systematically… recompleting everyone,” Elrena said.

Aqua nodded.

“That is the case,” Yen Sid agreed.

“Do you think they’d let me come with them?” She asked. “I mean, I know Larxene was a  _ huge _ bitch, so I’d get if they wouldn’t want me along, but I’m  _ bored _ .”

“And combat would alleviate that for you,” Yen Sid said, taking a sip of tea.

“Yeah, it would,” Elrena said. “Maybe  _ Larxene _ could spend a thousand years covering a cave system with duct tape, but  _ I _ need to actually, you know, do something?”

“Did she actually do that?” Aqua asked.

“Three and a half layers of it,” Elrena said. “My point is, I want something to do.”

“Very well,” Yen Sid said. “I will arrange transport for you to the Hollow Bastion after we finish lunch.”

“Cheerful name,” Elrena deadpanned. “I’ll be sure to suggest they get a new one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thought process for Caudaxta was basically:  
1) "I can't make a good Organization name out of Strelitzia"  
2) "I wonder if there are any good words related to Strelitzia's name that I can make an Organization name out of"  
3) "Oh neat the Strelitzia caudata is a specific type of flower"
> 
> It's a very sophisticated process, y'all.
> 
> Also, I'm not going to be home this weekend, so Saturday's update on Bleed and Burn and/or Monday's update here might be late. Try not to coat any cave systems in duct tape while I'm gone


	61. There Are Legitimately Entire Parties Where People Just Give Each Other Presentations On Random Shit And I For One Would Love To Attend One Someday

Kairi, Even, and Ienzo looked away from the presentations they were all simultaneously giving each other when they heard the sound.

The Star Shard rolled out of the hand of the dazed Elrena, onto the floor.

“What a way to travel,” She muttered.

Ienzo moved to her, kneeling down beside her, tilting his head to the side slightly. “Are you alright?” He asked.

“Peachy,” She said, pushing herself to her feet and looking around. “Nice place you got here.”

“I… don’t believe we’ve been introduced,” Even said.

“Name’s Elrena,” She said. “Where’s everyone else?”

Kairi, Even, and Ienzo looked around. “Guess they went out,” Ienzo said, standing.

“Can’t believe we didn’t notice,” Kairi said.

“I was about to get to the point of my whole argument,” Even said.

Elrena had the expression of someone who had realized that she had just made a decision that was rapidly hurtling towards the category of “mistake”, which was fitting, as she so happened to fit that description.

“Hey, Elrena,” Kairi said, brightly. “Would you say that a Nobody is a different person from the original Somebody, or the same person in a different state? Should each be expected to take responsibility for the other’s actions, and is it reasonable to predict that they would reliably have similar relationships?”

Elrena blinked. “Uh…”

“Can a Somebody take credit for the research of their Nobody, or vice versa?” Ienzo asked.

“Is it more technically correct to consider a Nobody the child or the sibling of their Somebody?” Even added.

“I don’t know science shit,” Elrena said. “Don’t ask  _ me  _ this.”

“Is this science or philosophy?” Kairi mused.

“Well, I don’t know  _ that _ , either,” Elrena said. “And I don’t want to.”

~*~*~*~

“And, so, that’s the whole deal with Nobodies and Somebodies and that,” Ephemer said.

“That’s a lot to take in,” Caudaxta said.

“Yeah, a bit,” Ephemer agreed.

They sat there, quietly, for a while.

“I feel like you should be my age,” Caudaxta said, finally.

“I was, once.” Ephemer wasn’t looking at her. “Remember what I said about Xepherem’s approximately 1000 year long  _ Bejeweled _ session?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“Well, eventually, a fellow calling himself Xigbar interrupted it. He said Luxu had sent him, and that Xepherem was being recruited to this thing called ‘Organization XIII’.”

“How are you saying roman numerals with your mouth?” Caudaxta asked.

“I don’t even know,” Ephemer said. “That’s not the point. Point is… Well, the Organization ended up not being the best place for him, and he left. Their enforcer ended up terminating him not too long after.”

Caudaxta tried not to look  _ too _ horrified.

“Destroying someone’s Heartless and Nobody recompletes the original self,” Ephemer said. “So… I ended up back about. That was about four years ago, and I’ve been aging normally since, so…”

Caudaxta nodded again. “What have you been up to?”

“Gathering information,” Ephemer said.

“Oh, what kind?” Caudaxta’s eyes  _ shone _ with excitement. She hadn’t been keeping track of time, but something deep in her bones ached from how long it had been since she had learned something.

“It’d be easier to show you,” Ephemer said. “But… I can’t take you back to where I’ve been staying. Not with the sigil in your name.”

Caudaxta blinked in confusion.

“I know!” Ephemer snapped his fingers, face lighting up with the idea. “It’s still in the spirit of Daybreak Town, even if the town itself is long gone. It shouldn’t be  _ too _ far from where Strelitzia lost her heart.”

“Ephemer--” Caudaxta said.

“I know,” Ephemer said. “Trust me, I remember when my heart was stolen and when Xepherem was terminated  _ incredibly _ clearly. But you can’t stay in this cave forever, anyways.” He held out his hand. “What do you say?”

She gave him a long, hard look. “This is what you originally came to do, isn’t it?”

“Xigbar is going to try to use you, too,” Ephemer said. “One of my contacts confirmed the termination of at least two of the Organization’s number. It’s only a matter of time.”

“Maybe I’d rather be used than dead,” Caudaxta said.

“Luxu stole my heart from me,” Ephemer said. “It’s very likely that he stole yours, as well. This might be a way to stick it to him.”

“I’ve never been one for revenge,” Caudaxta said.

“But what if he’d used you against Lauriam?”

Ephemer’s voice was quiet, his expression serious.

“I…” Caudaxta said.

“What if he’d used  _ Strelitzia _ against Lauriam? Against him, or Elrena, or someone else from back then?”

Caudaxta considered that. “Dirty pool,” She said, finally, and took Ephemer’s hand.

His keyblade connected with her chest.

~*~*~*~

Namine rounded the corner, on her way back to the lab from where she’d gone exploring, and stopped.

“Hey,” She said, offended.

Marluxia didn’t say anything. He looked at her, almost surprised.

“What do  _ you _ want?” She asked.

“I…” He said. “I wasn’t looking for  _ you _ , but I suppose I  _ do _ have something you could stand to hear.”

She gave him a wary look. “Who  _ were _ you looking for?”

“Someone who might know what happened to my friend,” Marluxia said. He sounded tired. “If you’re here, though, then there’s something I should tell you.”

“No, I’m actually good, thanks,” Namine said. “You can leave now. I don’t think anyone wants you here.”

Marluxia drew a sharp breath, through his teeth. “True enough,” He allowed. “Still--”

He cut off, as a couple of archravens swarmed his face. He batted at them, ineffectively, staggering backwards.

“What--” He spat. “Are these?”

“Unversed,” Namine said. “If you don’t leave, they’ll probably kill you.”

“ _ Shit _ !” Marluxia managed, with conviction. A dark corridor opened behind him, and he backed into it.

When it closed, the archravens flew away, presumably to continue patrolling for anything Vanitas had set them to look out for.

“That was strange,” Namine muttered. A flood climbed onto her lap and chittered softly. “What was he doing here? He couldn’t have  _ known _ , could he?”

The flood rolled over and chittered again. She rubbed its belly absently.

“I should get back to the lab, huh?” She asked it.

It looked at her blankly.

“Hey, can some of you guys go into town and help them with their Heartless problem?” She said. “I’m sure they’d really appreciate it.”

The flood on her lap, containing only a single brain cell, which it might have had to share, continued to look at her with empty eyes for a long moment. Then, it sat up, and butted its head against her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wifi and schedules not being as tight as I was worried about, we didn't experience any delays on this front.
> 
> I don't feel like it's spoilers to say I'll be bringing Caudaxta back post canon. I like her. Just because I wanted Strelitzia around for some of this stuff doesn't mean I want to completely eliminate our new friend, here.


	62. This Chapter Is Almost Entirely About Axel Even Though Marluxia Was Almost In It At Least Three Separate Times

Something at the corner of Vanitas’ awareness shifted, and he dodged under Riku’s strike, turning towards the change.

“Hey!” He said.

Axel held up his hands. “Easy,” He said. “I’m here to talk.”

“We didn’t do anything in town because they thought they knew you,” Riku said. “Here, you’re just what you are.”

“Great line,” Axel deadpanned. “Anyways, I--”

“You want something from us,” Sora said.

Axel bit his lip. “... Maybe?”

“I think we should just get it over with,” Vanitas said. “I don’t want to hear what he has to say.”

“What’s going on?” Hercules asked, as he had no way of being up to date on any of what was happening.

Donald and Goofy looked at each other and led Hercules out of the arena.

“Look,” Axel said. “Turns out my boss is blatantly lying to me and my rapidly dwindling amount of coworkers about a lot.”

“I’d say that that’s your personal problem,” Vanitas said. “Except for the fact that it  _ won’t _ be.”

“We’re staging a coup,” Axel said. “Some of us, I mean. Me, and Luxord, and Demyx, and maybe Marluxia. We could use all the help we can get.”

“Why shouldn’t we let you just duke it out among yourselves?” Riku asked, eyebrow up. “Sounds like less work for us.”

“What are you going to do if you win?” Sora asked.

“Me?” Axel said. “I’m going to take Roxas, find Xion, and find somewhere nice to raise a couple of kids, I guess.”

Xion’s heart did… something. Vanitas wasn’t exactly sure what.  _ His _ heart, however, felt like it was going to be sick. Unversed began to appear around his feet.

Riku glanced at him. Axel followed that glance.

“Do you know where she is?” He asked. He almost sounded hopeful.

“Why the  _ fuck _ would I tell you?” Vanitas demanded. Axel blinked in surprise. “You’re the murder hand of the order she decided to leave behind!”

“She’s my friend…” Axel’s voice was weak. His expression contorted into confusion, into… hurt.

Xion’s heart twisted unpleasantly, and Vanitas could feel her pressuring to take control.

“Are you some sort of  _ idiot _ ?” He asked, and he wasn’t sure who he was speaking to anymore. “What does  _ that _ mean? How the  _ hell _ is-- is-- is  _ that _ a good enough reason for us to stake  _ everything _ on?”

“Vanitas--” Mickey said.

“I’m not going to just accept that,” Vanitas snapped. “I-- I…”

The Unversed streaming from his shadow changed. Vanitas wanted to stay angry. He wanted to keep yelling. But the words had left him. He’d lost the momentum to keep himself in that state.

Sora rolled up and placed a hand on Vanitas’ elbow.

Vanitas brushed him off, turning to stalk away.

He couldn’t let them know what any of that meant. He couldn’t let them know he was scared.

He passed Donald, Goofy, and Hercules.

He walked through Thebes, beyond the point where his legs were screaming at him to stop.

Xion was still pushing.

“You know that’s a bad idea,” He muttered. “You know why you’ve been dreaming in there.”

A wave of dizziness hit him, and he collapsed.

~*~*~*~

Sora moved to follow Vanitas, but Riku shook his head. “Let him walk it off,” He said. “He always does that when he needs to clear his head.”

“Hate to interrupt,” Axel said. “Uh. Hi? Can I get an answer on the whole ‘helping with the coup’ thing?”

“No,” Sora said. “I-- Vanitas is right, I-- I don’t know if we can trust you. Not with something like that. Not enough to work with you.”

Axel sighed. He seemed… disappointed, although not particularly surprised. “Well, it was worth a shot,” He said. “I guess I’ll hope Demyx had better luck.”

“What?” Riku practically launched himself at Axel. “What was  _ he _ doing?”

Axel staggered backwards. “Hey, if you’re not in, you’re not in. Leave the coup to the people actually  _ doing _ it, thanks.”

Riku struck, knocking Axel back, but the man had opened a dark corridor behind himself. He fell through it, and it disappeared, taking him with it.

“Huh,” Sora said.

“Guess he’s not completely stupid,” Riku said.

“No one is,” Sora said. “Hey, are you  _ sure _ we shouldn’t check on Vanitas? Because I think I’m gonna go look for Vanitas.”

“I’m pretty sure he wants to be alone right now,” Riku said. Mickey nodded.

Sora considered that. “Then… I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” He declared.

“Going to the bathroom, or going to find Vanitas without telling them because you think you need their approval?” Hercules asked.

“Herc!” Sora exclaimed. “When did you get back?”

“I figured you were done when Vanitas left, but apparently not,” Hercules said. “Look, I get if you’re worried about your brother. You should talk to him.”

Sora nodded and wheeled away.

~*~*~*~

Axel reappeared at the Castle That Never Was, and set himself to tracking down Demyx, Luxord, and Marluxia. Much as he wanted to see Roxas, he didn’t want the kid involved in the coup until it was over.

The halls were quieter, he noticed. Zexion and Vexen’s frantic rushing around with notes and data had filled more space than he’d thought. Larxene’s shenanigans, while not entirely pleasant, had certainly kept things from being  _ dull _ . And Xion…

Axel blinked tears out of his eyes. Xion was his friend. She  _ still _ was his friend, if Vanitas’ explosion was anything to go by. She was still alive.

“And if you believe that…” He muttered to himself. “I’ve got a  _ wonderful  _ bridge to sell you.”

“Axel?”

Roxas’ voice felt small to Axel, in that huge, empty castle. He sounded so alone, so… worried.

Was it Axel’s fault, that Roxas was worried?

“Hey,” Axel said, turning to offer Roxas what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “What’s up?”

Roxas rolled up beside him, keeping pace as Axel continued walking. “You’ve been working a lot, huh?”

“Yeah,” Axel said. “How about you? Keeping busy?”

“I’m still not supposed to be out on my own,” Roxas said. “And every time they pick someone to monitor my missions, something happens and they can’t or don’t want to anymore.”

“Sheesh,” Axel said. “Sounds rough.”

Roxas nodded.

“So, what  _ have _ you been doing?” Axel asked.

“Uh…” Roxas said. “Sleeping, mostly. Trying to figure some things out.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

Roxas didn’t answer. For a long moment, Axel wondered if he’d spontaneously lost the ability to speak.

“Roxas?”

“If I get this right,” Roxas said, and his voice was impossibly quiet. “I might find Xion.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, all! I started a new semester of college this week, and I'm looking at a lot of writing for school (the English major jumped out lmao) so I'll be making a few temporary(?) changes to the update schedule!
> 
> 1\. At my sister's suggestion, I'll be switching updates for this fic from Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to Tuesdays and Thursdays starting next week. Later in the semester, if I get too close to the end of my buffer for comfort, updates may switch to Wednesdays only. I've got a large enough buffer on this fic that I'm comfortable keeping updates this consistent for this semester.
> 
> 2\. Starting after next week, Bleed and Burn will not be on a consistent schedule. I do not have nearly so much of a buffer on it as I do here, and I've reached the point of it that is the least defined in my brain. Barring /supreme/ surprises, I do actually expect to finish it before the semester is up regardless, but there will be a few out of place updates before I get to the end. It's pretty much unavoidable with the way my schedule is set up.
> 
> I love writing this AU, and I love seeing you all react to it, but my education is my top priority, and the fact that I've managed to update as frequently as I have for this amount of time is probably some sort of fluke anyhow. Thank you so much for all the support, I really appreciate it!


	63. Strange Titans Going Around Having Kids Is No Basis For A System Of Theology

“Well, that’s something.”

Strelitzia groaned and sat up, looking up at Ephemer. “Found me already?” She asked, grinning weakly.

“Yeah, it turns out the thicket I set up in used to be the building your heart was taken in,” Ephemer said. “So, that’s something.”

“Guess so,” Strelitzia agreed. “Seriously, though, you couldn’t set up in a building or something?”

“The only building left is the clock tower, and that’s basically unrecognizable anyways,” Ephemer said. “It doesn’t even have a clock anymore.”

“You could still use it, and keep all your shit indoors,” Strelitzia pointed out.

“Pretty sure someone beat me to that,” Ephemer said. “It’s  _ remodeled _ , not run down.”

“Oh,” Strelitzia said. “Do you think someone else survived this long? Maybe Lauriam or Elrena are in there.”

Ephemer shook his head. “Cat said their Nobodies were both in the Organization, last I asked.”

“Like the Cheshire Cat? From the predictions?”

Ephemer nodded. “The very same. Except, like, the  _ real _ one, though.”

“Oh, funky,” Strelitzia said. “Do you visit him, or does he visit you?”

“Yeah,” Ephemer said. “Sometimes he sits on my shoulder and we watch stuff of vague cosmic importance from an ominous distance. I think that makes us friends.”

“We should get suits and sunglasses,” Strelitzia said. “To facilitate ominous watching.”

“You are  _ so _ right,” Ephemer said. “Now or later?”

“Later,” She said. “You told Caudaxta you had notes.”

~*~*~*~

Xion awoke in a dark place, with lots of fire around.

“Oh, you’re not dead,” A voice said. “Pity. You’ll just have to be hero bait.”

“Unrealistic,” She said.

“Oh, really?” The man speaking had fire coming out of his head, which was kind of weird and maybe a little bit dumb looking. “What makes it that way?”

Xion sat up, dangling her legs off the shelf she’d been set on. “I just don’t think you’re gonna have that great of a time trying to keep me here,” She said. “I feel like that’ll be difficult for you, at best.”

“Confident, are we?” The man laughed. “Well, they all are, in the beginning.”

“Who are you, by the way?” Xion asked conversationally. She kicked her legs casually, as much as they could move. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“Who am--  _ Who _ am-- Who  _ am _ I?” The man sputtered, offended. “I am the  _ god _ , Hades!  _ Lord _ of the  _ dead _ !”

“Hm,” Xion said. “Well,  _ I _ didn’t vote for you.”

Hades stared at her in some mix of horror and confusion. “I-- You don’t  _ vote _ for  _ gods _ !”

“Then how do you become a god?” Xion asked.

“Oh, well, that’s actually quite the story.” Hades’ demeanor changed completely, and he put on a pair of reading glasses, summoning a book from infernal flame. “See, a long time ago, my father, the titan Kronos-- Hey!”

That last part was directed at the fact that Xion was gliding away over the ground.

“Get  _ back _ here!” Hades demanded.

“Nope!” She declared. “Bye, now!”

“Someone stop her!” Hades yelled, and the forces of the underworld began to mobilize.

~*~*~*~

“So, like I said before--” Marluxia said.

“Wait,” Xemnas said.

They paused.

“Sir?” Marluxia ventured, trying not to sway.

“Xion’s in the underworld,” Xemnas said.

“Should I… go get her?” Marluxia offered.

Xemnas considered that. “Yes,” He said. “Once she’s back at the Castle That Never Was, we can continue this conversation.”

Marluxia nodded, opened a dark corridor, and left.

~*~*~*~

“Hello, hello,” The Cat said.

“Kitty!” Dawn said, excitement plain on her face. “It’s been  _ forever _ , how  _ are _ you?”

“Well as a well can be,” The Cat purred. “Are you named yet, old friend?”

“We couldn’t figure out what my original name might have been,” Dawn said. “So, I’m Dawn now.”

“Charming,” The Cat said. “It suits you.”

Dawn laughed. “Hey, could I hear your riddle again, though? I forgot to write it down.”

“At the base of a tree, there sit the three,” The Cat said pleasantly. “And one discards her shell. Not Urth, not  Verthandi, of nornir and valkyrjur, asleep, she’ll waken well.”

Dawn scribbled that down on one of the pieces of paper she had still lying around. “Cool,” She said. “I’ll think about that later. Were you just coming to ask if I’d figured it out, or did you want to do something?”

“The temporary wanderer and the flower he would have walked with now seek knowledge together,” The Cat said. “The budding daylight may soon walk beside them. The pages are all torn and faded, at heart, after all.”

Dawn thought about that for a long while. “‘The budding daylight’. That’s me, isn’t it?”

“Is it?”

“Those other people,” She said. “That wanderer, and the flower. I’d like to meet them.”

“Ah,” The Cat said, eyes bright. “Follow me.”

~*~*~*~

No one would have denied that Xion was very good at what she did. It was also nearly universally acknowledged that what she did was kill things.

Therefore, the only person who was really surprised by how well she was doing at cleaving a path through the underworld towards its gates was Hades, who did not actually know her at all.

Still, there were a  _ lot _ of soldiers in the underworld. And, by the virtue of already being dead, they had an annoying habit of getting up again.

When she was scooped up from her gliding position near the floor, she slammed her keyblade into the person who had done so.

“I am  _ trying _ to get you  _ out _ of here,” Marluxia wheezed.

“Marluxia?” She asked, eyes wide.

He sliced through a few more underworld soldiers. “We need more space for a corridor.”

“Let me go!” She exclaimed. “I don’t  _ want _ to go back!”

“Literally, I  _ have _ to bring you,” Marluxia said. “Believe me, I would love nothing more than to not have to deal with any of this. I’m _ tired _ . ”

Xion would have responded, but she was struck by an enormous pressure behind her eyes. She could tell it was coming from Vanitas’ heart, but it wasn’t a push for control. She released her glide and curled inward on herself, dispelling her keyblade to clutch at her head.

Marluxia swore. Then, he kept swearing. “Not  _ these fucking things _ again!”

Xion felt herself drop, and she landed on a soft and vaguely roiling mass. A flood chittered in her ear.

The pressure relented, and Xion looked up and saw Unversed around her.

They were fighting the soldiers of the underworld, them and Marluxia. Xion was prepared to rejoin them, when a more familiar pressure arose.

Vanitas wanted to take control again.

Xion resummoned her keyblade, and looked between it and Marluxia.

She could help deal with the underworld soldiers, and facilitate her own escape.

Or she could hide again. Not have to worry about having to go back to the Organization or find her way back to somewhere safe when she’d been dreaming instead of moving to and from there.

She dispelled her keyblade, and lay back down on the pile of Unversed beneath her.

And she slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my fanfic, and I get to pick the cultural allusions!
> 
> Ahem. Anyways.
> 
> Dawn! I'll be honest, she's probably my favorite mirror/alternate/etc I've come up with for any of the preexisting characters. She's just SO EXCITED to be here, y'all. AND the Cheshire Cat is in this scene. love him.


	64. Everyone Is Having A Grand Old Time And We're All The Exceptions To This Assertion

Vanitas had no idea what was going on when he woke up, but once the headache and residual confusion had worn off, he was able to take stock of the situation.

Unversed, fighting a strange army he didn’t recognize. An Organization member, also there.

“Great,” He muttered, looking around.

One of the Unversed squeaked behind him, and he turned, taking stock of it. It had found a door. It could lead him out.

He followed it. The sooner he was somewhere he recognized, the better. To hell with that Organization guy.

Vanitas rounded a few corners, and stopped dead.

There was the door, and there was a man standing in front of the door, sword in one hand while his other arm was tucked into his haori.

“Who are you?” Vanitas demanded.

“Auron,” The man said.

“Great,” Vanitas said. “Move aside for a moment, I need to get through.”

“If I successfully prevent anyone from leaving, I’ll be free of the eternal torment of the underworld,” Auron said.

“Okay,” Vanitas said. “Let’s try this again. I have a practically infinite army of monsters at my command, and I need to get through.

Auron set his sword aside for a moment, and picked up a drink from nearby, taking a sip. From the sound of it, it was mostly empty. “That is your personal problem,” He said, setting his drink down and picking his sword back up.

Vanitas blinked at him. “Okay,” He said. “I can see why Xion gets on my case when I act like that, now. That’s annoying as shit.”

“Who’s Xion?” Auron asked casually.

“She’s one of my sisters,” Vanitas said. “She’s… the one I’m closest to, let’s say.”

Auron nodded. “What’s your name?” He asked.

Vanitas considered the pros and cons of telling him. Xion’s heart nudged his consciousness. “I’m Vanitas,” He said.

Auron looked at him, a little strangely. “An… interesting name,” He said.

“Eh, it’s mine,” Vanitas said. “I need to get through that door.”

Auron shook his head.

“Look,” Vanitas said. “What it looks like, here, is that we’re about to fight. You might want to finish your drink now.”

“It  _ would _ be unfortunate if it got knocked over,” Auron agreed.

~*~*~*~

Roxas had been blatantly refusing to explain what he meant by  _ anything _ he’d been saying, and Axel wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“It’s not… regular stuff,” Roxas said. “I don’t think there’s much you can do to help.”

“And if I knew what it was, I might try to interfere?” Axel asked. “It’s not  _ dangerous _ , is it, Roxas?”

Roxas shook his head.

Axel looked at him, carefully. “Have you done this before? Whatever you’re trying to do to find Xion?”

“Well…” Roxas said. “ _ I _ didn’t. But, yeah.”

“That makes absolutely no sense, you know that, right?” Axel ruffled Roxas’ hair.

“I know,” Roxas said. “I just need to figure out how to make it happen again.”

“When was the last time it happened?”

“Before Xion started getting tired and out of breath so much,” Roxas said. “Before she disappeared. Before I…”

“Before the whole ‘Ventus’ thing,” Axel said. “Whatever happened… Woke Ventus up, huh?”

“He’s not  _ awake _ awake,” Roxas said. “Not most of the time. More… dreaming.”

“Right, sorry,” Axel said.

They continued in silence for a while.

“There was someone else involved, wasn’t there?” Axel asked. “Besides you, and Xion, and Ventus.”

Roxas looked up at Axel suspiciously. “Yeah,” He said. “What do you know? What aren’t you telling me?”

“Your Heartless,” Axel said. “He’s much more human than most.”

“Sora,” Roxas said. “You’re talking about Sora.”

“Yeah, I am,” Axel said. “Was he there, when whatever it was happened?”

Roxas didn’t answer.

“Roxas,” Axel said. “Where  _ did _ this happen?”

“I should go,” Roxas said.

“Roxas--”

Roxas sped off.

“Damn,” Axel muttered. “What’s  _ my _ damage, huh?”

~*~*~*~

“I can’t find him anywhere,” Sora said.

“That’s… not good,” Riku said. “I’d  _ like _ to think he went back without us, but I’m not sure how likely that is.”

“Donald and Goofy and the king are gonna be waiting for us to get back with him so we can go,” Sora said.

“I’ll ask them to check the castle,” Riku said. “You good to keep looking on your own?”

Sora nodded. “Stay safe.”

“You need to hear that more than I do,” Riku said. “You’re the one who’s going to be on your own out here.”

Sora nodded, absently. “Guess so.”

Riku ran off back to the colosseum.

“Vanitas!” Sora yelled. “Where are you?”

He kept wheeling through the forest.

Eventually, he found a really big door. It looked very spooky.

He rolled up to it and knocked on it, experimentally. Nothing happened.

“Huh,” He said. “That’s something.”

He knocked again. Still nothing.

~*~*~*~

Vanitas and Auron stopped.

“Is someone knocking on the door,” Auron said. “Who would want to come  _ in _ ?”

“My idiot brother, looking for me, perhaps,” Vanitas said. “Look, I’m  _ not _ dead. Can I  _ go _ ?”

“No,” Auron said. “I must block your exit.”

“Wait, unblock me, I need to tell you something,” Vanitas said.

“... What?” Auron narrowed his eyes in confusion.

“Bitch!” Vanitas yelled, and hurled his keyblade.

Auron hissed, blocking it with his own sword before moving to stop Vanitas from collecting it.

Vanitas summoned the largest wind spell he could manage and slammed against the doors with it, dispelling his keyblade as he made impact.

Auron looked around, momentarily confused. Then he noticed Vanitas, rushing him and sheathing his sword as he went before picking him up by his arm as the door creaked open.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that,” Auron said. “If it were up to me, things would be different.”

“That’s what they all say,” Vanitas growled. “Lucky for me, you’re just a little bit too late.”

Before Auron could ask for clarification, Sora’s keyblade hit him in the stomach.

Vanitas landed on the ground, spider-man style.

“Come on!” Sora said. “Let’s go!”

The two of them fled the underworld gates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I shared this picture out of context in some discord servers and someone in one of them said I captured his vibe perfectly so there is that


	65. Ienzo Undeservedly Gets An Award For Dumb Shit

Ephemer looked up from sharing his notes with Strelitzia.

“Something’s wrong,” Strelitzia said. “I can feel it.”

“Not wrong,” Ephemer said. “Different.” Then, he raised his voice. “Is that you, Cat?”

“Not in the slightest,” The Cheshire Cat said, appearing around his shoulders. “Some of you must learn to check your assumptions.”

“Great to see you, too.” Ephemer smirked. “What’s up?”

“Ephemer,” Strelitzia said, looking past him. She sounded haunted. Worried, even. “Who’s that behind you?”

Ephemer turned, and his breath caught.

“Skuld?” He breathed.

“Sounds familiar.” The woman shrugged. “I’m Dawn. For now, at least.”

“Cat,” Ephemer said to the Cheshire Cat. “Is this the Nobody of my best friend?”

“Hm,” The Cat said. “Five who should have been five, for a total of six and a spare or three, yes? A thought, a fate, and a breath faced reprieve until their calling, and all are lost on their own and in their own. All awaited by thunder and harvest, by flower and by shine, all unknown to the dance and unnoticed by the game.”

There was a pause.

“So he really _ does _ talk like that, huh?” Strelitzia said.

“Yeah,” Ephemer said.

“You know him?” Dawn asked.

“No,” The Cat said.

“You couldn’t just _ say _ that when we ask _ you _ a question?” Strelitzia asked.

The Cat grinned.

Ephemer picked up a piece of scrap paper and a pen. “Can you repeat your whole, uh, thing?”

The Cat pondered for a moment, and then did so.

“Great,” Ephemer said, writing it down. When he was done, he motioned Dawn to join him and Strelitzia. “Now we get to figure out what the hell that means. Let’s get to work.”

“Life would be so much easier if people _ explained _ things to each other,” Strelitzia groaned.

“Hey, don’t blame the Cat,” Dawn said. “Pretty sure he’s contractually obligated to talk like that.”

~*~*~*~

After some shenanigans and confusion, everyone managed to collect back in the hidden lab in the Hollow Bastion.

“Hi again,” Sora said to Elrena.

“Technically,” Elrena said. “This is the first time _ we’re _ meeting. Hi, though.”

“See, you’re nice to _ him _,” Ienzo said.

“He’s a _ kid _ ,” Elrena said. “It takes a real piece of work to be mean to _ kids _.”

“I’m not a kid!” Sora protested.

“Sora, she’s like ten years older than us, I think,” Kairi said. “Also, you remember what her Nobody was like. Just accept it.”

“Yeah, Larxene was a bitch, I know,” Elrena said. “She inherited, like, all of my unresolved issues and none of my coping mechanisms, and then she got dumped in a cave by herself for a thousand years. Not that she _ couldn’t _ have been better, but…”

“Mm,” Sora said, a little awkwardly.

“Anyways, you’re recompleting the Organization, right?” Elrena said, brushing past all that.

“Yeah,” Riku said.

“I want in,” Elrena said. “I mean, yeah, there’s gonna be a fucking revolution, or whatever, but that ‘revolution’ might just be Demyx letting us all into the Castle That Never Was and telling us who’s on the hit list, so I figure we can be a little proactive, right?”

Everyone looked at her.

“What?” She asked. “None of you heard about traitor squad?”

“No,” Kairi, Ienzo, and Even said.

“You’re in contact with Demyx?” Sora, Donald, and Goofy asked.

“He’s buddies with Aqua.” Elrena shrugged. “Not _ entirely _ sure how that happened, but they seem to be having a good time. _ And _ Demyx is gonna tell us who’s _ actually _ in charge and who’s _ actually _ loyal to them, so…”

“Oh, yeah, while we’re on the topic of people who are in charge of the Organization,” Ienzo said, and dug around in a nearby box for a few moments before emerging with some fake mustaches. “Xemnas shows up sometimes. He’s somehow become Sora’s surrogate father figure, so we need to wear these when he visits.”

Elrena and Even looked at Ienzo. Then they looked at Sora. Then they looked back at Ienzo.

“This is something you all were _ intentionally _ discussing without me, wasn’t it?” Even sighed.

“Buddy,” Elrena said.

“It _ seems _ to work,” Riku said. “We’re pretty sure he hasn’t caught on to Ienzo yet.”

“_ Buddy _,” Elrena said again, putting a hand on Ienzo’s shoulder. “This is the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard of.”

“It works,” Ienzo said.

“This is the dumbest shit I’ve _ ever _ heard of, and I’ve heard people trying to justify the keyblade war. I’ve heard people trying to justify _ wiping everyone’s memory of the keyblade war _. And you’ve just taken the cake for dumb shit I’ve heard.”

“It _ does _ !” Ienzo insisted. “It _ does _ work!”

“Not-Vexen. Even, right? Get this man an award for dumb shit.”

“I’m pretty sure they call that ‘leadership’, and I am _ not _ putting him in charge,” Even said.

It was fortunate for Elrena, then, that she’d had her hand on Ienzo’s shoulder, as she nearly doubled over laughing, and she definitely would have collapsed without the support. Ienzo had to adjust his stance to prevent the fall, but he managed.

“Seriously, though,” Kairi said. “If or when Xemnas shows up, put on a mustache.”

“I’m gonna… go see if he’s around,” Sora said.

Elrena stiffened. “Holy shit, you people are serious.”

“Yeah,” Goofy said. “We wouldn’t joke about something like this.”

“I have _ got _ to hear more about this,” Even sighed. “Such as, perhaps, _ why _ we’re allowing this sort of thing to occur?”

~*~*~*~

“Something on your mind?” Xemnas asked.

“It’s…” Sora thought about the conversation with Elrena. “It’s nothing,” He muttered.

“It doesn’t sound like nothing,” Xemnas said. “But if you would prefer not to discuss it, we can move to other topics.”

Sora nodded. “What have you been up to?”

“Grief counselling,” Xemnas said. “We’re experiencing… staff turnover.”

“Oh,” Sora said, thinking about his encounters with the other Organization members. “Anything else?”

Xemnas was quiet for a little while. When he spoke, his voice was hushed and low. “I had a dream,” He said. “I’m not quite sure what it meant.”

“Sometimes they don’t mean anything,” Sora offered.

“This dream wasn’t like that,” Xemnas said. “It… I _ don’t _ dream, Sora. But I _ did _.”

“Maybe you ate something funny,” Sora said. “Dreams are weird. One time I dreamed I was a toy? And then some time traveller showed up? And that’s not even the weirdest one, that’s just one of the ones I have words for.”

“This was _ cohesive _,” Xemnas said. “It was almost… a memory.”

Sora gasped. “Maybe it _ was _! What’d you do in it?”

“It _ wasn’t _ me,” Xemnas said. “I’ve been trying to figure out why.”

“... Yeah, that’s weird,” Sora agreed. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a dream where I wasn’t at least a _ little _ bit me.”

“You see my predicament.”

“Yeah. You don’t normally dream, and you dreamed about being someone else, and it… felt real?”

Xemnas nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Staff turnover and the weird dream](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422001/chapters/52765162)
> 
> Dawn joined a party! Party received [Cheshire Riddle]! Quest added to notebook.


	66. Aqua Has A Deadly Combination Of The Gifted Kid And Eldest Daughter Syndromes

_ “Today you will be examined for the Mark of Mastery,” Master Eraqus said. _

_ Aqua stiffened, standing up straighter. Beside her, she felt Terra do the same. _

_ “Not one, but two of the keyblade’s chosen stand here as candidates, but this is neither a competition, nor a battle for supremacy-- not a test of wills, but a test of heart. Both of you may prevail, or neither.” _

_ Something was wrong, Aqua felt, with the situation. But what could be wrong? She and Terra were finally taking their Mark of Mastery exam, together, just like they’d always dreamed of. _

_ “But I am sure our guest, Master Xehanort, did not travel all this way to see our youngest prospects in years fall short of the Mark.” _

_ Master Xehanort looked at Terra and Aqua, and Aqua felt exposed. Unsure. _

_ Afraid. _

_ She had briefly seen this man, once, when he had brought Ventus to them. Why did he inspire such fear in her? Had she forgotten something? _

_ “I trust you are ready,” Eraqus said. _

_ “Yes,” Terra said. _

_ Aqua did not speak. Around her, the room seemed to drift a little further away. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. On one hand, the room shouldn’t have been able to do that. _

_ But on the other hand… _

_ For a brief moment, more shapes flickered around her. People who might have been here with her. People who might have been here instead of her. Then, they were gone. _

_ No one seemed to notice that she had remained silent. Master Eraqus declared the beginning of the examination, and summoned the orbs she remembered so clearly. She didn’t turn to face them. The room drifted farther away. _

_ Farther, and farther, and… _

_ “Who am I?” _

_ Now, Aqua remembered what was wrong. _

_ “Terra,” She said, even though she knew that wasn’t Terra anymore. “You’re Terra. You’re my friend.” _

_ “Who am I?” _

_ She turned towards him. He looked exactly as he had the day she’d fallen into the Realm of Darkness. “You’re Terra,” She said again. “Please, come back to me.” _

_ “Who am I?” _

~*~*~*~

“Terra!” Aqua yelped, jolting awake.

She was in Master Yen Sid’s tower, sitting by Ventus’ bed. She must have fallen asleep there.

In her sleep, she’d pulled him out from under the accessories she’d left on his bed. Nearly all the odds and ends she’d collected in the Realm of Darkness were there, now, lying around him as he waited.

There was a wet patch on the dark coat that Riku had put on him and she still had been hesitant to remove, somehow. Aqua sighed. She didn’t have to feel her face to check what that was; her eyes still stung with the tears that had resulted from her nightmare.

“Damnit,” She whispered. “I was supposed to take  _ care _ of you. I was supposed to be  _ strong _ .”

Silence.

“We’re all  _ broken _ ,” She spat. “Master Eraqus, he… he always said he saw great things for us-- for all three of us. And now?”

She smoothed out the coat, where she had gripped it in her sleep.

“Terra’s  _ gone _ . You-- You might as well be gone, too. And I… I  _ failed _ him. I passed the exam, but I failed at  _ everything else _ .”

The room did not answer her. Everything was still, except for her own, wracking sobs, and the slow, almost imperceptible rise and fall of Ventus’ chest, signalling that he wasn’t  _ quite _ dead.

~*~*~*~

Xigbar, Saix, and Xaldin sat tensely around a table, watching each other. Xaldin had a cup of juice. Xigbar had some sweet iced tea. Saix had black coffee.

“So, what’s this about?” Xaldin asked.

“It’s unfortunate in these trying times,” Xigbar said. “But I have reason to believe we’re going to have to deal with  _ another _ traitor cell.”

“That so?” Xaldin asked, eyebrows shooting up.

Saix took a long sip of his coffee.

Xigbar nodded. “Demyx may be a lazy bastard, but he’s also  _ damn _ horrible at keeping a secret.”

“ _ Demyx _ is a traitor?” Saix asked. “I didn’t realize he had the energy.”

“Maybe he got into your coffee,” Xaldin suggested.

“He hasn’t,” Saix said. “I would  _ know _ , and he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to try anything.”

Xigbar laughed. “Seriously, kid, you’re addicted to that stuff.”

“ _ I _ am an  _ adult man _ ,” Saix said. “And our superior trusts me more than you.”

“Mm, does he?” Xigbar asked.

“I’m not sure he trusts  _ you _ at all, Xigbar,” Xaldin said. “Everyone  _ knows _ you’ve got something about his past that you’re using to keep influence.”

“That--” Xigbar began, and then stopped. Then he took a deep breath. “That’s not true, Xaldin,” He said, voice level. “That would be a dreadful thing to do.”

Saix and Xaldin shot each other cynical glances, and each took a sip of their drinks.

“Anyways,” Xigbar said. “The point of this discussion is; we need to do something about this whole situation. We’re low enough on members, so obviously, any solution that isn’t murder or dusking is preferable.”

“Is Demyx the only traitor?” Xaldin asked, taking a sip. “Because if Marluxia’s in on this, I think we’re going to have to kill  _ him _ , at least.”

“We still need to get that information,” Xigbar admitted.

“Maybe we can make Demyx snitch,” Xaldin said.

“He won’t,” Saix said, finishing his drink. “After all, snitches get stitches.”

Xigbar sighed. “See, you  _ try _ to act like an adult, and then you say something like that. That’s a  _ playground _ rule.”

“Does it not  _ also _ apply to a coup d'etat?” Saix asked. “Also, you have ten seconds to keep me from going to get a refill instead of listening to you.”

“You’re an addict,” Xaldin said under his breath.

“He’s been talking to Axel a lot, recently,” Xigbar said.

Saix froze. Slowly, he spoke. “Has he?”

“Yup.” Xigbar leaned back in his chair. “It’s possible that Axel’s looking to betray us, too.”

“He  _ wouldn’t _ ,” Saix hissed. “He wouldn’t  _ dare _ .”

“He… is the guy that’s supposed to handle this kind of situation,” Xaldin said. “I was wondering why he wasn’t here.”

Saix glowered into his empty mug. 

“It’d be over Roxas and Xion, most likely,” Xigbar said. “He  _ does _ seem rather fond of children, doesn’t he?”

Saix set his cup down on the table, with only a  _ little _ bit more force than necessary. “He’s probably ingratiating himself, so he can confirm the situation,” He said. “That was his plan with Larxene and Marluxia’s little ploy, as well. I  _ know _ him. He’s not  _ that _ much of an idiot, as he’d need to be to  _ actually _ try to betray us.”

Xigbar looked at him, obviously unconvinced. “Maybe he’s not,” He said. “But maybe, he found something more important to him than someone who was once a person who was friends with Somebody he used to be.”

Saix glared for a long, hard moment. Xaldin tried not to catch too much of the edge of it, because it reminded him why the berserker was considered one of the most dangerous members of Organization XIII. That glare promised death, at best.

Finally, Saix moved. “I’m getting a drink,” He said. “ _ Don’t _ interrupt me with this nonsense again.” Then, he picked up his mug and left.

“What’d he sit in, right?” Xigbar laughed, and Xaldin realized with a start that Saix’s glare hadn’t affected  _ him  _ at all.

Xaldin figured that it would be best, if he didn’t think too hard about what that meant about Xigbar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saix needs coffee because he's been awake for three days doing everyones fucking jobs, Xigbar.
> 
> Dream sequences are fun to write. They're allowed to be *just cohesive enough* while simultaneously having that dose of surrealism.


	67. I'd Say That We Were Referencing A Previous Explanation Except For The Fact That None Of The People In This Conversation Got That Explanation

Yen Sid had been able to tell that Aqua was in some sort of mood, so he’d kicked her out to take a walk, again. She huffed as she walked, kicking small rocks out of her path. She had a _ responsibility _ to Ventus, him being the only person left from those days in the Land of Departure, and she _ didn’t _ appreciate the distractions when she wasn’t in control of them.

It was a surprise to her, to hear voices off the path, to the side. She moved to investigate.

“We still haven’t got the first bit,” One said. “I don’t think we should move on to that ‘thunder’ bit yet.”

“I’m pretty sure that ‘shine and flower’ refers to you two, though,” Another said. “I mean, the Cat mentioned a flower before he brought me to you.”

“Makes sense,” A third agreed. “But what the heck is ‘five who should be five’? It _ is _ five.”

Aqua walked a bit further, and emerged in a clearing that had very obviously been in use as a base of operations for a good amount of time. In the center were three people, who looked up from the paper in front of them to stare at her.

“Hi,” She said, bad mood dissipating in the face of an incredibly awkward situation.

“Hi,” One of them, the second voice, said brightly. “I’m Dawn. What’s your name?”

“I’m… Aqua,” Aqua said. “What are you… doing out here?”

“This is the ghost of the town where we lived,” The first said, shrugging.

“Here, specifically, is the ghost of the building where I lost my heart,” The third added.

“Lost your-- Are you a Nobody?” Aqua asked.

“No,” She said. “That’s a recent development, though. I’m Strelitzia.” She stuck out her hand.

Aqua shook it. “Nice to meet you.”

Strelitzia nodded.

The only person in the clearing who had not introduced themself cleared his throat. “Aqua, do have any experience with Cheshire riddles?”

“No,” Aqua said. “Let me see, though.”

They showed her the paper, and she read it.

“Yeah, this makes absolutely no sense,” She said. “Are you _ sure _ it means anything?”

He nodded. “They always do.”

“Hm,” Aqua said. She looked at it closer. “It’s about people? And there’s… nine of them?”

“Probably,” Dawn said. “Ephemer asked if I was the Nobody of someone he knew, and the Cat said this, so…”

“What was that person’s name?” Aqua asked.

“Skuld,” Ephemer said.

Aqua read the riddle one more time, and her eyes lit up. “Fate,” She said. “There’s a world Master Eraqus took me to, once, when I was a kid? And one of the people in charge of fate there is named Skuld, too.”

“And if _ I’m _ ‘flower’…” Strelitzia muttered.

“Thought,” Ephemer said. “That must be Brain. And breath…”

“Glad I could help?” Aqua offered.

“‘A thought, a fate, and a breath faced reprieve until their calling’,” Dawn said. “That’s… uh… Is that like how I sat in a cottage for ten years trying to remember my old name?”

“My Nobody played _ Bejeweled _ for what I later found out to be a thousand years,” Ephemer said. “And Strelitzia’s did Solitaire for even longer. Why wouldn’t _ we _ be in that category, then?”

“Hm,” Dawn said. “Hmmm… Maybe I’m from a different Skuld?”

“What?” Ephemer asked.

“Maybe,” Aqua said. “Like how Elrena knew a different Ven than I do.”

“Elrena?” Strelitzia asked. “She’s alive? Is she here?”

“She’s off on a mission to beat up her Nobody’s coworkers,” Aqua said.

“Iconic,” Ephemer said. “So, she’s ‘thunder’, then? Lauriam told me about her. And Ven’s around?”

Aqua considered the situation. She could either extract herself from the situation, go back to the tower, and stew, or she could stay with these people she didn’t know and spend a few hours working through a riddle with them.

“It’s complicated,” She said. “So, do we want to take a look back at ‘five who should be five’?”

~*~*~*~

“Marluxia, there you are,” Axel said. “You would not _ believe _ how long I’ve been trying to catch a word with you.”

“Word caught,” Marluxia said without looking up from the book in front of him. “Bye now.”

“What are you up to?” Axel asked.

“None of your business.”

“Marluxia,” Axel said. “I’m _ hurt _.”

“No, you’re not,” Marluxia said automatically.

“No, I _ am _, though,” Axel said.

Marluxia looked at him for a moment, eyes narrowed, before he turned away again. “So you heard, too, huh? I suppose I shouldn’t be that surprised.”

“Huh?” Axel said.

“What?” Marluxia turned back to him again, genuine confusion forming on his face. “You mean Saix _ didn’t _ tell you about…?”

“About feelings?” Axel prodded.

Marluxia nodded.

“No, he didn’t. I just, you know, noticed him acting sort of like Isa used to.” Axel shrugged. “Also, Peter Pan might have been theorizing at me when I was investigating Neverland. What, he told _ you _?”

“I was struck by illness,” Marluxia said. “After Larxene’s… disappearance. Saix concluded that the ruse we’d all been taken under was negatively affecting my health.”

“You were repressing your emotions and got sick over it,” Axel said. “Sheesh, if _ that’s _ a thing, it’s a miracle _ he _ wasn’t the first one it happened to.”

“He didn’t lose you, I suppose,” Marluxia said.

“What?” Axel asked. Then his face drained. “Wait. Wait, were you and Larxene--”

“We knew each other,” Marluxia said. “She knew my sister more.”

“_ Knew _ knew, or like--”

“Axel,” Marluxia said. “If we have not reached the point of this conversation, I would advise you get to it _ now _, or you won’t have the opportunity.”

“We’re gonna fuck up Xigbar,” Axel said. “Luxord and Demyx and I. We’re, like, ninety percent sure this whole thing is his fault, and he’s riding the charisma of Xemnas’ incredibly deep voice to get us to play along.”

Marluxia blinked. “There’s a lot to unpack in that,” He said. “I’m going to try to stick with what’s probably the point of this, for now. You think Xigbar is responsible for--” He gestured vaguely.

Axel nodded. “He’s the one that brought, like, everyone who joined the Organization between when Saix and I signed on and when Xemnas brought Roxas and Xion, right? Where did he get all of you?”

“Luxu,” Marluxia said. “When he came to collect me, I was hesitant to go with him at first. I wanted to know how he knew of me, and he said _ Luxu _ had told him.”

Axel blinked. “Who-- Who is that?” He asked, tone low.

Marluxia considered that question. “Luxu is… an _ incredibly _ long story,” He finally decided. “He was taught by the same person who taught my ‘teacher’, I suppose.”

“So, he’s like your uncle, in teacher terms,” Axel said. “Like, your… tuncle?”

Marluxia glared at him. “He also, by all rights, should have died a thousand years ago.”

“But he didn’t?” Axel asked. “That’s weird. Wonder how he did that.”

“Either he became a Nobody and lost track of time, like I did, in which case I would have expected him to be here,” Marluxia said. “Or he time travelled, or he pulled some other kind of bullshit.”

“Wait,” Axel said. “Are you saying _ you’re _ a thousand years old? Because it _ sounds _ like you’re saying you’re a thousand years old.”

“My Somebody was specifically tasked with cleaning up after the keyblade war,” Marluxia said.

  
“What the _ fuck _,” Axel said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [The explanation](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422001/chapters/51465871)
> 
> Aqua: yes Demyx is my new friend but i'm worried about my boy  
Ephemer: which boy?  
Aqua: my b-- wait who are you
> 
> Axel: what im hearing is that youre older than Luxord  
Marluxia:  
Axel:  
Marluxia:  
Axel:  
Marluxia:  
Axel:  
Marluxia: ... no  
Axel: sounds good to me


	68. Roxas Uses The Power Of Missing His Friend To Make A Conference Call

“You can come back to the tower with me, if you want,” Aqua said. “I… I think it’ll be easier to explain what’s going on with Ven there, and I don't think Master Yen Sid would mind that much?”

“I’ll have to pack,” Ephemer said. “I can find the tower on my own, if you all want to head back without me.”

“We can help you carry stuff,” Strelitzia said. “That’ll be easier than doing it on your own, right?”

“I… guess so,” Ephemer said, nonplussed.

“You’ve been alone for a while, too, huh?” Dawn said.

“I haven’t been  _ alone _ alone,” Ephemer complained.

“Uh-huh,” Aqua said. “Come on, let’s get packing.”

The four of them were able to gather up all of Ephemer’s possessions in a  _ mostly _ acceptable manner. The only  _ real _ issue came when they actually reached the tower, and had to face off against the door.

“Maybe we could knock,” Dawn suggested.

“If we do, I’m going in first,” Aqua said. “I’m going to have to explain you, after all.”

“I can explain stuff,” Ephemer said.

“Yeah, but Yen Sid’s old, and I’m the only person here he knows,” Aqua said.

“Hm, yeah, fair enough.” Ephemer shrugged.

It was about at that point that they heard footsteps coming up the walk. Everyone turned. Pete was there.

“Maybe I could put what I am holding on the ground for a minute or so,” Aqua said.

“Oh! Oh!” Dawn said, putting what she had on the ground and jumping excitedly. “Watch this!”

“What?” Pete asked, mostly to the world at large, as he didn’t expect anyone there to actually answer him.

Dawn pointed at Pete as he continued to approach, and he tripped. She cheered.

“I’d clap, but my hands are full,” Strelitzia said.

Ephemer nodded.

Aqua set down her own armload. “Luck manipulation?” She asked. “Where’d you pick that up?”

“Braig taught me,” Dawn said. “He said it wasn’t his ‘thing’ or whatever, but that it was an important skill.”

“Braig?” Strelitzia asked, confused.

“ _ Braig _ ?” Aqua asked, concerned.

Ephemer considered that. “Any relation to Xigbar?” He decided, finally.

Dawn shrugged. “Guy I know,” She said. “Got me out of the Garden before it fell to darkness. He’d been trying to help me remember my old name. Or, at least, I thought he was.”

“Not sure now?” Ephemer asked.

“He had all the letters right, but with an extra ‘X’,” She said.

“Ah,” Ephemer said, understanding. “Yeah, okay. Organization naming conventions. I’m surprised he didn’t find a word  _ related _ to your Sombody’s name and stick an ‘X’ in it.”

“It’s what he did for Caudaxta,” Strelitzia said.

“Hey!” Pete said as he pushed himself up from the ground, offended at having been forgotten. “What’s the big idea?”

“Do you mind?” Aqua said, sternly. “We are  _ trying _ to have a conversation, here.”

Pete’s response was to growl angrily and summon a bunch of Heartless.

“Oh, fuck  _ that _ ,” Ephemer declared, setting down what he was carrying and summoning his keyblade in response. “I had enough of these bastards when they were just data.”

Everyone made sure that the notes and stuff they’d brought were secure, and dropped into combat stances, most of them summoning keyblades. Dawn, who did not have her Somebody’s heart or the keyblade that came with it, held up her fists.

“You really want a fight?” Aqua asked, looking at Pete with an  _ almost _ amused expression. “Now?”

“I’ve got a  _ job _ to do, and you’re in the way,” Pete said, sounding very self important. “Besides, it’s time for a little bit of payback.”

“Is it?” Dawn asked.

~*~*~*~

_ Roxas was the first to open his eyes, sitting up and looking around. This place was different than the last time this had happened, but it had worked. He grinned, in spite of himself. _

_ “This again?” Vanitas complained. _

_ “This isn’t like last time,” Ventus said, getting upright from where he was relatively close to Roxas. “This is…” _

_ The light from the floor was dimmer, Roxas noted, and the floor itself was more of a wide crescent that a proper circle. Still, that wasn’t the important part. _

_ Roxas tried to summon a chair, as he had done the last the last time, but the idea of it… sputtered. It was as though their environment wasn’t quite as prepared as it had been before. _

_ “Hi!” Sora said, brightly. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen some of you.” _

_ “Yeah,” Ventus agreed, a little nervously. “Looks like we’re in a different heart.” _

_ “A  _ ** _weaker _ ** _ one,” Vanitas scoffed, standing and looking around. “I’m not sure this is fully formed.” _

_ “Vanitas,” Xion said, sounding disappointed. _

_ “Well, am I wrong?” Vanitas asked. “Whose fault is it this time?” _

_ Ventus protested. “We don’t even know why this--” _

_ “I did this,” Roxas said. _

_ “Why?” Vanitas demanded. “You’re obviously not prepared--” _

_ “Vanitas, be nice!” Xion said. _

_ “No!” Vanitas said. “We don’t know what the hell this is! It could be dangerous, and he just--” _

_ “Xion, where are you?” Roxas asked. “I miss you.” _

_ “Miss you, too,” Xion said. “But I have to sit tight at the moment.” _

_ “Why?” Roxas asked. _

_ “Because we’ve been sharing a body,” Vanitas said. “And  _ ** _I’m _ ** _ not going to deal with that Xigbar guy.” _

_ “Oh,” Roxas said. “I… I guess I understand that.” _

_ “You and Ventus have been sharing, too, right Roxas?” Sora asked. _

_ Roxas nodded. _

_ “Oh, call me Ven,” Ventus said. “But, yeah.” _

_ “So maybe you two could come join us, too?” Sora asked. “Where we’ve been hanging out?” _

_ Roxas shook his head. “I’m still being monitored from the last time I ran off,” He said. _

_ “Besides,” Ventus said. “I’m not sure Vanitas and I would be able to stand each other for extended periods of time yet.” _

_ “I’m surprised we’re not already fighting,” Vanitas said. “It’s that instinct, you know? What do they call it, where you see someone and just start to duke it out?” _

_ “The ‘you got manipulated by Xehanort because there were literally no positive figures in your life’ instinct?” Ventus suggested. _

_ Vanitas summoned his keyblade. “It’s true, but you shouldn’t say it,” He said. _

_ “Please don’t fight in Roxas’ heart,” Xion said. “I don’t think it’s done yet. Damaging it won’t help.” _

_ Roxas looked around. “I wonder why Namine hasn’t been at either of these,” He said. _

_ “She’s Kairi’s Nobody, isn’t she?” Sora said. _

_ “From  _ ** _your_ ** _ body,” Vanitas said. “She could be here, maybe.” _

_ “Isn’t Kairi a princess of heart or something?” Xion asked. “That’s what it sounded like.” _

_ “There are probably shenanigans involved,” Ventus said. “There are all sorts of shenanigans that can happen with heart stuff.” _

_ “More than you’d expect, somehow,” Vanitas said. “We’ve been looking into that, around other things we’ve been up to.” _

_ “How can there be more than I’d expect?” Ventus asked. “I expect, like, infinity shenanigans!” _

_ “You say that,” Vanitas said. “But your brain is still gonna have a point where it goes ‘hey, that’s  _ ** _way_ ** _ too many shenanigans’. And there are more than that.” _

_ “Hate that,” Ventus said. Roxas nodded in agreement. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vanitas: only someone ridiculously dumb would do this thing  
Roxas, an intellectual: :)


	69. Ghosts Exist And Can Stab You

Axel, Demyx, Luxord, and Marluxia sat around a table, looking at each other.

“Let me get this straight,” Marluxia said. “We’re planning to get rid of the only semblance of order any of us have left, because you lot are personally offended by… Xigbar? Xemnas? Xigbar and Xemnas?”

Axel, Luxord, and Demyx looked at each other.

“Yeah,” Axel said. “That about covers it.”

“You were going to have a coup yourself, were you not?” Luxord asked. “Why did  _ you _ want to, then? What made you change your mind?”

“We didn’t want to summon Kingdom Hearts,” Marluxia said. “We didn’t want to feel, or at the very least we didn’t want to acknowledge that we could. Now, though?”

Marluxia went quiet for a long moment.

Demyx yawned, leaning forward onto the table and half-closing his eyes.

“Unless I’m horribly wrong, I’m the only person left who remembers Strelitzia,” Marluxia said. “If I… got terminated, then she’d be gone for good, wouldn’t she?”

“You’re… a  _ little _ horribly wrong,” Demyx said.

Marluxia stood, slamming his hands on the table. Demyx jolted backwards, eyes widening in surprise. “What does that mean?” Marluxia demanded.

“I…” Demyx said. “I haven’t visited them, in a bit, because one of the other people there is a scary wizard who hates me, but you remember my friend I told you about? The one who knew someone named Ventus like you did?”

Marluxia glared.

“Last I checked, Larxene’s Somebody was with her.”

Marluxia stiffened. Then, he began to shake.

“You alright there, buddy?” Axel asked. “You wanna sit down?”

Marluxia slowly lowered himself into his seat, still shaking. “She’s alive,” He breathed.

“Last I checked,” Demyx allowed.

~*~*~*~

Riku and Elrena stood awkwardly on the shore of Port Royal. Riku was wearing a costume that Namine had cooked up to make him look like a Darkling. Elrena had put on a dark coat she’d gotten from somewhere.

“You really think they’ll come here?” Riku asked, fiddling with his hood.

“Just a hunch,” Elrena said. “Larxene worked there for three and some years, and I’ve got her memories about it. I’d like to think I have a sense for these things.”

Riku was about to respond, but Elrena signalled for him to be quiet, and stepped into the shadows.

“I can’t believe they’re making  _ us _ do recon,” Lexaeus complained. “Come on. I’m a fighter. I hit things.”

“Well, it’s not like  _ Vexen _ can do this now,” Xaldin said. “And you  _ know _ everyone involved in the decision making process is ridiculously cautious about this sort of thing.”

“I’m just saying,” Lexaeus said. “They sent two bruisers to do recon.”

“Who would you have  _ rather _ brought?” Xaldin asked. “ _ Roxas _ ? He’s a good kid, but I’m not sure he can count to ten, if you know what I’m saying. He’s still a little… out there.”

Riku stiffened. Elrena motioned for him to stay where he was as Lexaeus and Xaldin walked past their hiding spot.

Then, she stepped out behind them, and walked at their same pace for a few seconds before greeting them.

Her greeting, of course, was a laugh and a knife to Xaldin’s shoulder.

They’d discussed this a little, before heading to Port Royal. The Organization, now moving in pairs, would likely be trickier to deal with. The majority of them also did not know what happened when a Nobody was destroyed. Therefore, Elrena’s plan was to make them think that ghosts existed and could stab them.

She’d wanted to bring Ienzo, but he’d opted to stay behind. Zexion may have been a passable fighter, but Ienzo wasn’t confident that he shared those abilities.

Xaldin yelled in surprise, and he and Lexaeus whipped around to face Elrena.

“Hey, boys,” Elrena said. “Miss me?”

“Ghosts exist and can stab us,” Xaldin breathed.

“Mm, that a no?” She asked, voice brimming with a false, mocking disappointment. “Honestly, and they said  _ I _ was the mean one.”

She drew some more knives and engaged. She had the advantage of being believed to be a ghost, but she was also going one regular, albeit incredibly skilled, magical, and if necessary keyblade wielding, person against two fucking musclebound living tanks of guys that were, as far as Riku was aware, no slouches, either.

He sighed. He  _ wished _ they’d brought Ienzo. Or Xion, even if waking her up was a risk.

He pulled out the device they’d picked up on a detour through San Fransokyo and turned it on, activating the playlist of really intense, ghost themed music Elrena had spent a couple of hours picking out during their wait.

As the singer yelled about needing an exorcism, Riku tucked the device away and joined the fray.

~*~*~*~

After they’d driven Pete away, taken everything inside, and settled in a bit, Aqua had the unenviable task of introducing Ephemer, Strelitzia, and Dawn to Yen Sid.

He was fine with Ephemer and Strelitzia. It was Dawn that he had a problem with.

“You know my stance on Nobodies, Aqua,” Yen Sid said.

“Yeah, and I think it’s a little unfounded,” Aqua said. “Demyx and Namine are my friends, and I think Dawn can be, too.”

Dawn’s eyes lit up at the proclamation.

“She has connections to the Organization,” Yen Sid said sternly. “She said so herself. Not to mention, she’s a  _ luck manipulator _ . That is its own set of problems.”

“It’s a difficult skill to master, but I don’t see the problem with it,” Ephemer said. “My best friend from before, ah, everything went to shit had a little bit of luck magic.”

Yen Sid sighed. “Records of the keyblade war are opaquely worded and hard to come by,” He began.

“Oh, like wizards,” Strelitzia said. Dawn elbowed her in the side.

Yen Sid paused a moment, to glare at her. Then, he continued. “Still, the decipherable ones indicate that at least three luck manipulators were involved in the events surrounding it. When these records were first decoded, a council of sorcerers was called.”

“Great history lesson, but a little irrelevant?” Aqua offered.

“We agreed that luck manipulation was a skill better lost to time,” Yen Sid said. “It is dangerous. In the wrong hands, it is nearly boundless. I will not have someone with even an inch of it residing in this tower.”

“Aw, beans,” Dawn said.

“Then where is she  _ supposed _ to go?” Ephemer demanded. “I’m not going to make her wander around by herself. Do you  _ want _ the Organization to try to kidnap her or something?”

“Where that Nobody goes is no concern of mine,” Yen Sid said.

“No, but it  _ is _ , though,” Aqua said. “See, if  _ she _ goes, I think Ven and I are going with her.”

Yen Sid gave Aqua a withering look, but she did not back down.

“I mean, if he doesn’t  _ want _ me here…” Dawn said. “I don’t think it’d be a good time, to stay.”

“He stays in his room all day, anyways,” Aqua said. “It’s not like you two would  _ have _ to deal with each other.”

“Maybe there’s somewhere else we could go,” Strelitzia said. “Dawn’s right. Even if I’d like to try and put a little pep back into the ghost of my old hometown, somewhere else might be better.”

“You have an hour to leave,” Yen Sid said, mostly to Dawn. Then he turned and stalked back up the stairs.

“Alright then,” Aqua said. “Let’s go where Elrena moved to.”

~*~*~*~

Xigbar closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The intricacies of complex magic were not something that came  _ naturally _ to anyone, even as they became easier and easier with practice, and the spell he was casting came with a lot of moving parts. He was also routing it through Braig’s body, which had only started to channel magic  _ after _ he’d come into possession of it.

After a few moments, he opened a dark corridor and stepped through it.

Emerging on the other side, he was hit with the scent of brine, harsh and angry and rich with minerals and the souls of drowned sailors. This wasn’t the clean, sweet salt of the world where the Destiny Islands and Twilight Town resided.

“Port Royal,” He said. “It’s been a while, eh, Davey?”

The isolated cove he’d emerged in didn’t answer him. To be frank, he’d have been more concerned if it had.

He walked off, letting the whims of the spell he’d cast guide him.

If he was lucky, he’d find Xion. Or, at least, someone who could lead him to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elrena: the best way to do this is for me to pretend to be Larxene  
Riku: I feel like that's not necessarily the--  
Elrena: nope. im vibing. lets go.


	70. England Doesn't Exist And Everyone Seems To Know Ventus

“Okay, hear me out,” Xaldin said.

“Aren’t you supposed to be with Lexaeus?” Xigbar sighed. This had not been what he was looking for, and that worried him. He’d done  _ so well _ at pushing off the after effects of these particular spells onto other people for  _ so long _ . He didn’t want to think of what it meant, that they were starting to fail him outright.

“Larxene’s ghost killed him,” Xaldin said.

Xigbar blinked. “What?”

“Larxene’s ghost,” Xaldin repeated. “Summoned a weird Heartless and some heavy metal music, and killed Lexaeus. Would have killed me, too, but I think the sound of you showing up spooked them.”

“I spooked the ghost,” Xigbar deadpanned.

Xaldin nodded.

“Weird Heartless. Pureblood? Hood with two earlike protrusions? Poofy pants?”

Xaldin nodded again, slower. “Seen it before?”

“It’s not unique, but they haven’t been common for a long time,” Xigbar said. “Assuming it wasn’t destroyed at any point, Larxene’s Heartless should have been one of those. Sora’s would have been, too, eventually, but that’s gone a bit off track, now.”

“But Larxene  _ died _ ,” Xaldin said.

“Ghosts don’t exist and they can’t stab you,” Xigbar said sternly.

“Ghosts  _ do _ exist,” Xaldin said. “And they  _ can _ stab us. We know this. We’ve been to Halloween Town.”

“This isn’t Halloween Town,” Xigbar said. “You were not stabbed by a ghost.”

“Well, this world isn’t exactly love and candy, Xigbar,” Xaldin said. “There  _ could _ be ghosts here, too.”

“But Larxene disappeared in Wonderland,” Xigbar said. “So, even if Nobodies could form ghosts  _ and _ she was in any position to do so, she wouldn’t be here. And  _ Wonderland _ doesn’t have ghosts.”

“What if Zexion’s ghost killed her and Vexen?” Xaldin asked.

“Unlikely at  _ best _ ,” Xigbar said. “Let’s go. You’re obviously not going to calm down here.”

“She was a ghost and she stabbed me,” Xaldin said.

~*~*~*~

“And that’s what happened,” Ienzo said.

“Hm,” Aeleus decided. “That’s a lot.”

“And that’s only the beginning,” Vanitas said. “You’ve got a lot to catch up on, but hey! Lucky for you, you didn’t show up any later than you did.”

“Who are you?” Aeleus asked. “If you were explained in that,  _ I _ missed it.”

“I was not,” Vanitas said. “I’m the asshole brother.”

“As opposed to which other brother or brothers?” Aeleus asked.

“Ventus, Sora, and Roxas,” Kairi said from where she was sorting through research notes. “And if you want to include sisters, then Namine, Xion, and I are in there, too.”

Aeleus considered that. “That sounds like a longer story than I want to go through right now,” He decided.

“It’s only  _ moderate _ heart shenaniganery,” Vanitas said.

“Vanitas, if  _ this _ is only  _ moderate _ heart shenaniganery to you, I  _ definitely _ don’t want to get involved in  _ heavy _ shenaniganery,” Namine said.

“Hey,” Vanitas said. “None of  _ us _ even got possessed.”

“I’m willing to argue that,” Namine said.

“Aren’t  _ I _ supposed to be the asshole?” Vanitas said.

“I’m not being an asshole,” Namine said. “I just want to know how you define possession in a way that doesn’t include your current arrangement.”

Vanitas was about to speak, but then he did not, opting instead to glare at her.

“She’s got a point,” Kairi said.

“No one asked you, princess,” Vanitas said.

“Someone did, though,” Kairi said.

Everyone looked at her, confused.

“Me,” She concluded, and turned back to her work, taking no more questions at this time.

“Scientists,” Vanitas muttered venomously.

“Hey!” Even and Ienzo said, offended.

“You saying you  _ wouldn’t _ ?” Aeleus asked.

“Please don’t poke them, they haven’t seen the sun in days,” Namine said. “Not that anyone’s stopping them, I just think they should.”

“There’s too much to sort through!” Ienzo said. “Too much to test!”

“Test it on the roof,” Sora said, entering the lab. “Hey, you’re new.”

“Hi,” Aeleus said. “I’m Aeleus.”

“Nice to meet you!” Sora said brightly. “I’m Sora!”

“I’m… aware,” Aeleus said, awkwardly.

~*~*~*~

“How’d your whole Xion finding experiment thing go, by the way?” Axel asked, flopping down on the couch next to Roxas and passing him an ice cream.

“Oh, uh.” Roxas messed with something in his lap. “I guess… technically a success? But she didn’t tell me anything.”

Axel sat bolt upright. “You talked to her? How?”

“I’m not sure how to explain it,” Roxas said. “I’m even sure what it is, but… It’s something. I thought it was a dream the first time it happened.”

“Can’t explain it, that’s cool,” Axel said. “Could you describe it, though?”

“Not really,” Roxas said. “I think it has something to do with hearts? Maybe it’s a Ventus thing.”

“I mean, maybe it’s a you thing,” Axel said. “Nobodies… have a lot more pieces than I was led to believe.”

Roxas looked at him, long and hard. “Alright then,” He said.

“Seriously, though, how’d you talk to Xion?”

“I focused  _ really, really hard _ on wanting to,” Roxas said. “It wasn’t just her, so I think there’s more shenanigans I don’t know all of.”

“Ventus and Sora were there, then?”

Roxas nodded. “And this guy Vanitas.”

“Weird. Who’s that?”

“Him and Ven know each other.” Roxas finished his ice cream and leaned over onto Axel’s side. “Honestly, is there anyone who  _ doesn’t _ know Ventus?”

Axel decided not to bring up that time he met Ventus. “Did Xion say  _ anything _ ?” He asked instead. “Anything at all, that might be an indicator of where she is?”

Roxas considered that for a moment, and shook his head. Then, he suppressed a yawn.

“Here, you’ve had a long day, right?” Axel said. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“‘Mnot tired,” Roxas said. “I just… I don’t know. I keep thinking I want to go home, but I live  _ here _ . That’s weird, right?”

Axel ruffled his hair. “You’re an interesting kid, I’ll grant you that,” He said. “But I also think you’re tired. Come on.” He moved Roxas into his wheelchair. “You moving yourself, or is that my job today?”

“I’m  _ fine _ ,” Roxas said. He clearly seemed to be hoping Axel didn’t notice him yawning in the middle of the word.

“Yeah,” Axel said. “ _ You’re _ not tired, and  _ I’m _ the queen of England.”

“What’s England?”

“I made it up,” Axel said. “Bed time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You heard it here first, folks. England is made up. It's all a bad dream.We don't have to w-- wait, what language is this again?


	71. Saix Isn't Paid Enough To Deal With This Band Of Hooligans (Part Seven): In Which Saix References Naruto

It took some doing, but Aqua managed to get her new party and the sleeping Ventus to the Hollow Bastion. They stood there, on the edge of town, and considered it.

“That route felt familiar,” Aqua said.

“Cat said this used to be called the Radiant Garden,” Ephemer said, adjusting his grip on the bag he’d acquired before leaving the tower. It held all of the books and papers he (and in some cases, his Nobody) had collected. “Mentioned it a few times. It’s doing better than I expected, really.”

Aqua blinked in surprise, and looked back at the town. “That’s… A decade in the Realm of Darkness sure gives everything time to change, huh?”

“Yeah,” Dawn said. “I didn’t see much of it when I was here, but…”

“Well, no time like the present,” Strelitzia said. “Where’s Elrena staying, you know?”

“... Somewhere?” Aqua proffered.

Strelitzia clapped her hands once. “Let’s ask around.”

“The way your brother described you when we worked together,” Ephemer said mildly. “I expected you to be a little more cautious.”

“Yeah, well, the last time I hesitated to talk to someone about something, my heart got stolen before I could,” She said. “Speaking of, I wonder what happened to that person.”

“Yeah, me too,” Ephemer said. “They were my friend.”

“You’re friends with everyone, huh?” Dawn teased.

They walked into town.

“Did they survive the war?” Strelitzia asked.

Ephemer nodded, and Strelitzia sighed in relief.

“Excuse me,” Aqua said, flagging down a passerby. “Have you seen a blonde woman with hair styled to look somewhat like antennae around?”

The woman she’d asked shook her head. “No,” She said. “Have you seen a blond guy with spiky hair?”

“Uh,” Aqua said, and adjusted her grip on Ventus.

The woman’s gaze moved to him. “Oh, no,” She said. “Not him. My guy has a big sword. Like, a  _ huge _ sword, with a lot of smaller swords inside of it.”

“Oh,” Aqua said. “Hey, have any of you seen her guy?”

Ephemer, Strelitzia, and Dawn shook their heads.

“Thanks anyway,” The woman said. “Hope you find who you’re looking for. Unless this is, like, a malevolent search, in which case, choke.”

“Yeah, you too,” Aqua said.

She and the other woman shook hands firmly, and then it was time to move on.

~*~*~*~

“Huh,” Demyx said. “That happened?”

“And Xigbar isn’t taking it seriously,” Xaldin said. “Which, okay, he doesn’t take  _ anything _ seriously, but still. I got stabbed by a ghost that was hanging out with a Heartless.”

“That is  _ so _ weird,” Demyx said. “Like, they were buddies? The ghost and the Heartless?”

“Yeah,” Xaldin said. “It was Larxene’s ghost. Might have been her Heartless, too.”

“Weird…” Demyx said, trying not to think too hard about Elrena. “I… didn’t know that… happened…”

“Me neither,” Xaldin said, completely oblivious to Demyx’s obvious attempts to avoid telling him things.

“Anyways…” Demyx said. “Say… if you… had a heart…… how would you… feel about that…”

“Pretty upset, honestly,” Xaldin said. “He’s completely brushing off my concerns about ghost knives. What if ectoplasm is real? What if I’m infected now?”

“Infected with  _ what _ ?” Demyx asked. “‘Being a ghost’ disease?”

“Yeah!” Xaldin said.

“I think that’s called being dead,” Demyx said. “So, you’re probably fine?”

“We seriously need a doctor around,” Xaldin said. “Marluxia got sick, I got stabbed by a ghost…”

“Getting stabbed is what cure spells are for,” Demyx said. “I can cast one on you, if you haven’t already.”

“I did,” Xaldin said. “I guess I’m just--”

The pair of them were at a door, and Xaldin was trying to open it. This was somewhat complicated by the fact that his hand was intangible now.

“Oh shit,” He said. “I’ve got ‘being a ghost’ disease.”

“I made that up, how is this happening,” Demyx said.

“Do you think it’s terminal?” Xaldin asked.

“Uhh,” Demyx said. “Uhhh, I don’t-- No. No, it’s not terminal. If I made it up, I get to decide that, right?”

“I don’t know!”

“I’m gonna go get Saix,” Demyx said. “He’s smart, he’ll know what to do.”

~*~*~*~

“Demyx, for the last time, no,” Saix said. “I’m too busy to deal with your made up disease.”

“Well, made up or not, Xaldin’s convinced he has it enough that his hand is literally phasing through a doorknob,” Demyx said. “So, there’s that.”

“Is it contagious?” Roxas asked.

“No,” Saix and Demyx said firmly.

“It’s not  _ real _ , it can’t be contagious,” Saix continued. “Demyx… take Roxas to Christmas Town to kill some Heartless, I have work to do.”

“Fine,” Demyx said. “Let’s go.”

Demyx and Roxas left for Christmas Town, and Saix sighed and stalked off to find Xaldin.

Xaldin was exactly where Demyx had said he’d be, still freaking out over the door. Saix watched his hand phase through the knob a couple of times.

“That  _ is _ something,” He declared, making Xaldin jump about ten feet in the air, literally.

Upon landing and calming down a little, Xaldin gestured to his hand. “I got stabbed by Larxene’s ghost and now I have ‘being a ghost’ disease or something!”

“If her ghost was capable of stabbing you, she would not have been able to infect you with intangibility,” Saix said.

The exact nature of the problem was new, but Axel had had a similar one, once. He’d somehow convinced himself that, since he was no longer human, he would no longer derive any benefit from human food. He’d half starved trying to figure out what to eat instead, before Xigbar had pointed out that everyone else was only eating regular food and were doing just fine.

Axel was still very embarrassed by the whole ordeal, not that he’d admit it. It hadn’t come up to most of the other members of the Organization.

“Well,” Xaldin said. “Obviously she did.”

Saix tried not to sigh  _ too _ heavily. “Well, then,” He said. “She must have been  _ selectively _ tangible. I see no reason why you cannot be as well.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Xaldin said.

“That’s your problem, then,” Saix said. “In the words of a legendary warrior: believe it.”

“How will that--”

“Just try it,” Saix said. “Look, I can get Xigbar’s advice on the matter if it will help you, but first you need to try to believe in yourself for three seconds.”

“Need hearts to believe,” Xaldin muttered.

“Obviously not,” Saix said, lying through his teeth. “You have yourself quite convinced you’ve contracted a case of incorporeality.”

“Quite convinced--” Xaldin sputtered. “ _ My hand is phasing through the doorknob _ !”

Saix debated continuing this argument. When he spoke again, it was the voice of a man conceding defeat. “How’s your  _ other _ hand?”

“I think you’re missing the basic point, here,” Xaldin said.

“Well, what am I supposed to do about your hand?” Saix asked. “Xigbar seems rather on the ball when it comes to the mechanics that govern our functions. Why don’t you ask him? Or raid Vexen’s notes, if someone else hasn’t done that already?”

“Saix--”

“No, I’m done here. I’ve given you all the help I have for this, if that doesn’t work then handle it yourself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Xaldin is hard to draw and I definitely have to get better at him. Also Saix's ears are just. behind his hair. I did not forget to draw them. That would be silly. I am a serious and put together individual.
> 
> Nobody:  
Demyx when he's lying: ......


	72. Making Vanitas Suffer Like I Suffered Only He Was Actually Capable Of Getting Out Of Bed

Vanitas had made the truly genius decision of going on a walk. This meant, of course, that he was presently collapsed on a bench, attempting not to succumb to the pain enveloping his entire lower body.

Xion’s heart twinged in his chest, scolding him for overstepping his own limits.

“I know,” He hissed, casting a small fire spell and pressing it against the pain. Not for the first time, he was grateful to be immune to the damage of his own spells.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, if the seconds stretched or shrunk as he tried not to look too obviously flat-footed. Still, eventually, something had to interrupt him.

“You!” Aqua’s voice rang out, harshly accusing him of all the things he’d done, and maybe a few other things as well.

He turned in the direction of her voice, and held back a wince as he stood. She didn’t know about the pain, and that wouldn’t change if he had any say in the matter. She stood there, Ventus’ prone, comatose body on her back, surrounded by people he didn’t know.

“Me,” He said. “It’s been a long time, Aqua.”

“Not long enough,” She hissed.

Honestly, that was fair.

“You know this guy?” One of her companions asked. Her tone was surprisingly casual, for the rest of the situation.

“I was raised to ill intentions, towards her and hers,” Vanitas said. “I caused, like, so many problems for them, personally.”

“And how do you feel about that  _ now _ ?” Another one of her companions asked, sounding rightfully wary.

Vanitas shrugged. “I guess I slept it off.”

“Why are  _ you _ awake?” Aqua asked, voice heavy with venom.

“I’ve explained that enough times already,” Vanitas groaned. “Do I have to do it  _ again _ ?”

The last member of Aqua’s party, who had not yet spoken, held up a hand and stepped forward. “Hey, uh, hate to interrupt, hi, but, uh… Have you seen a blonde woman? With hair styled like--”

“Antennae?” Vanitas finished. “Yeah. Why?”

She shuffled her feet. “She and I were… friends, before I, uh, sort of died.”

“Don’t tell him  _ that _ !” Aqua hissed.

“Oh,” Vanitas said. “Well, in that case, she’s been staying with everyone in the castle.”

“The spooky castle?” The casual one asked, pointing up at the castle.

“No,” Vanitas said, making it as clear as possible that he was being sarcastic. “A  _ different _ castle.”

“Hey,” She said, crossing her arms. “There  _ is _ a different castle.” She pointed in another direction.

“Yeah, but that one’s  _ also  _ spooky,” The one who’d asked about Elrena said.

“Oh, true.”

“We can’t trust him, anyways,” Aqua said. “This is Vanitas. He’s tried to kill, like, everyone I know.”

“Hey,” Vanitas said. “I wasn’t trying to  _ kill _ anyone. I’ll accept accusations of attempts to maim, disturb, or otherwise bring harm to people, because I did that, but not  _ murder _ .”

“Uh huh,” Aqua said, unconvinced. “What was that with Ven at the keyblade graveyard, then? Or, actually, at any point. Ever.”

“Cain instinct,” Vanitas said.

“Look, if we can’t trust what this guy says, can we move on?” The silver haired man who’d previously questioned Vanitas’ opinions of his own actions said. “I, for one, would like to find my former co-worker’s almost sister-in-law.”

“I’d like to go now, too,” Vanitas said. “Xion made me schedule a therapy session with Merlin.”

“What?” Aqua asked.

“I’m in therapy, Aqua,” Vanitas said. “For my childhood traumas, such being created by an evil man trying to summon an omnipotent set of moon doors.”

“Ouch,” The casual one said. “Strelitzia, Ephemer, we should get therapy. We also have childhood traumas.”

“Oh, yeah, probably,” The man said. “Omnipotent moon door traumas, too.”

“Cool, so, later,” Vanitas said, turning to leave.

Aqua sputtered, not sure whether to stop him and challenge him to a fight or be glad he was leaving. Vanitas was fine with that, because he wasn’t in the mood to fight someone who’d spent that last decade or so in the Realm of Darkness.

~*~*~*~

Sora was pretty sure Aeleus was acclimating well to everything, so he decided to wander around for a bit.

It was no surprise, then, that he encountered Xemnas.

“Hi!” Sora said brightly.

“Sora.” Xemnas’ voice was warm, but he looked stressed.

“What’s up?” Sora asked.

“An acquaintance of mine has somehow managed to contract a condition that does not exist,” Xemnas said.

“Hm,” Sora said. “Well, if Twilight Town doesn’t exist, and we’ve been there, I guess that’s not  _ that _ much of a stretch.”

Xemnas considered that. “No, I suppose not,” He allowed. “What have  _ you _ been up to?”

“Hanging out, making plans for the future,” Sora said.

“Sounds fun,” Xemnas said.

Sora shrugged. “I’ll be glad when it’s over, really.”

“Ah,” Xemnas said. “Specific future, not… general future.”

Sora nodded.

“I… suppose I’ve been doing that, too,” Xemnas said. “Planning for a specific future. Only, I’m not sure if the plan’s mine anymore.”

“Huh,” Sora said. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“I just want to remember,” Xemnas said. “But I’m not sure the way things are going will help.”

“Have you tried finding people you used to know?” Sora asked.

“I thought so,” Xemnas said. “But none of them knew me.”

“That’s… nuts,” Sora said.

~*~*~*~

Ventus sat on Roxas’ bed.

“You’ve gotta tell me who these people are,” He said. “What are you  _ doing _ here?”

Faded images flashed before his eyes, accompanied by whispering, overlapping words and phrases.

“Can we do that… slower? Louder, maybe?”

Before Roxas could try again, the door opened, and a red haired man stepped in. “Hey, Roxas,” He said. He sounded incredibly stressed. “How are you doing? Feeling alright?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” Ventus said, trying to keep the awkwardness out of his voice.

Roxas’ voice whispered in his mind.  _ “Axel.” _

“How are you, Axel?” Ventus offered.

“Saix said he couldn’t find you,” Axel said, sitting on the bed next to him. “I don’t know why he didn’t think to check here.”

“Yeah, that’s weird,” Ventus said.

Roxas was pushing for control, but Ventus took a deep breath and did his best to push back. Axel was already here, and unless someone had told him about their present arrangement, Ventus didn’t want to be the guy to pass out in front of him. Roxas kept pushing, insisting that Axel was aware. Ventus still wasn’t particularly keen on passing out in front of the guy.

“You alright there?” Axel asked, putting a hand to Ventus’ forehead, as though feeling his temperature. “You’re looking a little pale.”

“Just… tired,” Ventus said.

He could  _ feel _ Roxas groaning, internally.

“You stayed up, didn’t you?” Axel sighed. “Come on, man, you  _ know _ you have work today.”

“Yeah-- Yeah, I’ll be just a minute,” Ventus said. “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.”

“The more you say that, the less sure I am that I believe you,” Axel said.

“Seriously,” Ventus said. “I’ll be out in just a minute, just--”

Axel cut him off with a sigh. “You two really  _ do _ look alike, huh.”

Ventus bit his lip.

“It’s not polite to lie,” Axel said. “But I guess it’s not my job to teach you that, right? Just get Roxas out here. Please.”

Something in his tone held no room for argument.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vanitas has been getting therapy off screen for pacing and thematic consistency. This isn't the therapy fic. I'm still not sure how I'm going to work the therapy fic, but I definitely want to write it at some point.


	73. Axel Unlocks A New Skill, Some Other People Do Stuff, And Aqua Has A Right To A Nice Lunch

It had taken Xigbar longer than he’d liked, to get back and check on where he’d left Dawn. He wasn’t really happy with the fact that she wasn’t there.

He’d weighed his options, and so now he was back at the little cabin with Axel.

“So, this Nobody, who was here,” Axel said. “You were going to bring her to the Organization?”

“Theoretically,” Xigbar said. “If I could get her to accept a name that fit the specifications.”

“What  _ is _ her name, then?”

“She decided it was Dawn,” Xigbar said. “Which… doesn’t work to our standards, you know?”

“Right, right,” Axel said. “No ‘X’. Hey, why ‘X’ specifically?”

“What, something  _ wrong _ with it?” Xigbar laughed.

“Nothing  _ wrong _ , really,” Axel said. “Just… it seems to show up a lot, huh?”

“Suppose so,” Xigbar said. “It’s interesting, huh?”

“Yeah,” Axel said. “It’s a little weird, really.”

“It is what it is,” Xigbar said. “So, the real question; where could she have gotten to?”

“Half of anywhere,” Axel said. “I’m not a bloodhound, Xigbar, I don’t know what you want from me.”

“Yes, you do,” Xigbar said. “You’re just not sure you can do it, and that’s the problem.”

“Is this gonna be one of those ‘you can do anything you put your mind to’ talks?” Axel sighed. “Because those are  _ seriously _ annoying.”

“This is me teaching you a lesson about your abilities as a Nobody,” Xigbar said. “You can sense where darkness leads.”

“Then why aren’t you doing this yourself?” Axel asked. “I know you like to keep this sort of stuff to yourself.”

“Because  _ I’m _ not a hunter,” Xigbar said. “I don’t track people down. With that in mind,  _ I _ can’t.”

“But  _ I _ can?”

Xigbar nodded. “The skill certainly suits you.”

Axel considered that… a little weird, but he considered what he knew about the man he was talking to and made a couple of very fast decisions. He rocked back and forth on his heels, a bit, and closed his eyes.

The room around him had an air about it. It was unfamiliar, now that he considered it, but there were little wisps that reminded him of the Castle That Never Was. There were other wisps, too, wisps of feelings of places. Wisps of Wonderland, some of which felt like they dated back years. Wisps of other places he didn’t recognize.

He dug deeper, and one wisp caught his attention. It was the only one of its kind, sandwiched between the wisps from the Castle That Never Was and a preposterous amount of much, much older and staler feelings.

“Someone came here from the Radiant Garden once,” He said.

“When?” Xigbar asked.

“A while ago,” Axel said. “Maybe over a decade? I think we were still human then.”

“That’s not what we’re looking for, then,” Xigbar said.

“No, but…”

“Who came here last, before us?” Xigbar sounded impatient. Axel thought it was rude of him, to be so pushy. He’d  _ just _ figured out he could do this, and Xigbar was expecting him to focus on  _ one thing _ . It was ridiculous!

“Mm,” Axel said, considering. “I think… Wonderland?”

There was no more conversation, then, as Xigbar grabbed Axel’s hood and dragged him through another corridor.

~*~*~*~

The keyblade graveyard usually only saw disturbance from wind. Not so, this day, where the dust and stale, forgotten grief were stirred by footsteps and wheels.

“This is the place,” Brain said, when the four of them reached the center of the graveyard.

“You’re sure you have to do this here?” Igni asked. “It feels… wrong.”

“Many people died here,” Brain allowed. “But this is also where this has to happen. This place was primed as an exit point a thousand years ago. It has to be the reentry.”

“I just  _ love _ how you get more incomprehensible the older we get,” Sean sighed.

“This is the only place this can happen, or else we wouldn’t be here,” Brain said. “We’ve got to do this before  _ he _ would.”

“Right, right,” Astrid said. “Fucking up the timeline, with the power of schedule shuffling and the butterfly effect.”

Brain nodded. “It’s only a shame I couldn’t pick up any of the other people he’s looking for. It’d be great to mess that part up, too.”

“Even more than him not getting to keep  _ you _ did?” Sean said. “So, what are we doing?”

Brain dug in his bag and pulled out a small, glowing shard. “Watch and see.”

He set the shard on the ground and muttered something, rubbing the grief saturated dust over it.

Sean shifted in his chair, flukes trailing through the dust as he tried not to show how the energy of the place got to him.

“Ava,” Brain said. “Aced. Gula. Invi. Ira.”

“Who are--” Igni began, but cut off as the wind began to pick up, as the clouds began to gather, as the rain began to fall, as a mist began to form.

Igni, Astrid, and Sean drew closer together, summoning their keyblades and looking around warily.

“Five of them,” Igni said. “All around. Warm,  _ mostly _ .”

Five figures emerged from the mist, one from each direction, and it dissipated. The rain began to fall heavier.

Brain grinned. “It’s been a long time,” He said.

Ava gasped.

“Where is Luxu?” Ira demanded. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Ah!” Brain said. “First, introductions are in order. Wouldn’t you agree,  _ Mother _ ?” He turned to Ava at this last statement.

“It really  _ is  _ you,” Ava said. “You were-- You  _ were _ reborn.”

“You chose your own son?” Gula said incredulously. “A bit of favoritism, I must say.”

“The Master chose him,” Ava said. “I simply carried out those orders.”

“But not  _ all _ of them, traitor,” Invi said.

“Brain, not that I’m not happy you have a real, live mom now, as opposed to a dead dream one, but what the fuck?” Sean said. “Do you have  _ any _ idea how many questions I have right now?”

“All in good time,” Brain said. “Let’s make sure nobody kills each other first.”

~*~*~*~

“That Leon fellow also said to check that castle,” Ephemer said, rejoining the others where they had opted to take a lunch break. “That might be the place to go after all.”

“I don’t want to go anywhere Vanitas said to,” Aqua said. “He’s not trustworthy.”

“I understand that you two had serious issues every other time you met,” Dawn said. “But it sounded to  _ me _ like he was trying to improve. Plus, we’ve got a second opinion now.”

“I can check out the castle first, if you want,” Strelitzia said. “Well, me and someone else. In any case, it’s probably best not to go alone.”

“No, if we’re going in, I’d like to  _ all _ go in,” Aqua said. “The last thing we need is to be separated right now.”

“You’ve got  _ big _ distrust,” Dawn said.

Aqua nodded.

“Well, let’s eat and head out, then,” Ephemer said. “Waiting around forever won’t do us any favors.”

Dawn nodded and bit into her sandwich.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've gotta do poetry critiques for class today but im stuck on how to explain why this one line is my favorite. I can't just say "thats gay" because this is a woman writing about a man but thats all that comes to mind!! im gay i cant help it
> 
> The B&B gang is here! And also the foretellers. It's been over 1000 years since Brain saw his mom


	74. Axel Isn't Paid Enough To Deal With Every Possible Way People From The Past Can Exist Right Now

“So, that was a dead end,” Axel said.

“ _ You _ were the one who said she was here, weren’t you?” Xigbar asked.

“No, I said I unlocked a new ability I barely know how to use that seemed to indicate that her last visitor came from here,” Axel said. “Big difference.”

“ _ Splendid _ ,” Xigbar said, disgust dripping from the word.

“Can I  _ go _ now?” Axel asked. “This  _ sucks _ .”

“You’re starting to sound like Demyx,” Xigbar said.

“We haven’t accomplished anything,” Axel said. “We have no way  _ to _ accomplish anything. I have other things I’d rather do. I’d like to go.”

Xigbar seemed about to speak, but then he stiffened, expression darkening to a degree Axel had never seen before.

“Xigbar?”

“Come on,” Xigbar said, opening another portal. “There’s somewhere else we need to check.”

~*~*~*~

“What does that mean?” Donald asked, pointing at a reading on the screen that had just jumped.

“I… don’t know,” Ienzo said.

“Our teacher made this program,” Even explained. “It monitored certain forces throughout the small section of the universe that most of the worlds we have contact with exist in. He didn’t tell us what everything meant.”

“Well, has it ever done that before?” Sora asked.

“Not for just one world,” Even said. “It looks…  _ similar _ to the readings we get when worlds start to merge.”

“I don’t like that,” Kairi said. “Nothing about that answer sounds like  _ anything _ good.”

“Does that mean we should go there to see what’s up, or stay as far as possible in case it explodes or something?” Elrena asked. “Personally, I vote for the first option. Sounds exciting.”

“ _ We’ve _ never been there, anyways,” Ienzo said. “We wouldn’t know what’s normal for that world.”

“What are the worlds around it?” Riku asked. “Maybe that’ll help.”

Even and Ienzo pointed out a few worlds as Vanitas entered the room with a mostly empty iced coffee.

“So what would that world in the middle be?” Aeleus muttered.

“Probably the keyblade graveyard,” Vanitas said. “Anyways, Aqua might stop by later. Bring some friends I haven’t met. Then again, they might not come here, because she doesn’t trust me an eighth as far as she could hypothetically throw me, which is actually pretty far.”

“Keyblade graveyard?” Elrena said. “That’s where the war was, right?”

Vanitas nodded.

“We  _ need _ to go there,” Elrena said. “Or at the very least, I’m gonna. Who’s coming?”

“You shouldn’t--” Even began.

“Sounds fun,” Vanitas said. “I’m game.”

“Don’t you need to sit down?” Sora asked.

“Technically,” Vanitas said. “I’ll bring Xion’s chair.”

“I’m coming, too,” Namine said. “Someone has to keep you two out of trouble.”

Ienzo made a strangled noise.

~*~*~*~

Brain was glad that he had finally,  _ finally _ , managed to get through the important explanations before the first of their uninvited guests arrived.

“So  _ that’s _ what you’ve been up to these past few years.”

Brain turned. “Braig,” He said. “I shouldn’t be surprised to see you here.”

“Ah, no one calls me  _ that _ anymore, Brainiac,” The older man laughed. “It’s  _ Xigbar _ now. Get with the times. Although…”

Xigbar’s gaze slid past Brain, past Sean, Astrid, and Igni.

“There  _ was _ a time people called me Luxu, too.”

Brain heard the foretellers gasp and stiffen and shift behind him, but he barely registered it. He was staring at Xigbar-- at Luxu-- in horror. “All this time,” He said. “You’ve still been--”

“Trying to clean up after  _ you _ , it looks like,” Luxu said. “You never  _ could _ leave well enough alone.”

“None of us could,” Brain said. “That’s-- That’s where the others have been, all along, huh? You wanted us confined. Out of the way. Even V--”

“Hey, ease up on those accusations, there, smart guy,” Luxu laughed. “That’s not it at all.”

“Uh, Xigbar?” Brain’s attention snapped to the red haired, somewhat familiar looking man that accompanied Luxu, who was holding up a hand as he spoke. Their eyes may not have been empty, but now that Brain thought about it, the new arrivals  _ weren’t _ human. They probably hadn’t been for a long time, either. “What’s going on?”

“Hi!” Igni said. “The man you’re with is apparently some form of ‘over a thousand years old’!”

Luxu and the man he’d brought looked at each other.

“Eh, so’s Marluxia,” The man decided. “So’s Demyx, probably.”

“Yeah, okay,” Ava said. “See, uh, Luxu here was also  _ really _ involved in causing the  _ first _ keyblade war, and is probably working towards another one, so…”

“Huh.”

“Yeah,” Brain said, recovering from the shock of Braig-- Xigbar, he mentally amended-- being Luxu. “So, obviously, we  _ don’t _ want that.”

“Well, I mean,” Gula muttered. “That’s what’s in the book, right?”

Most of the other foretellers shuffled in nervous agreement.

“Do  _ none _ of you remember how many children died last time?” Ava demanded. “Or does it not matter to you, because we were able to protect our own?”

“You’ve always been emotional, Ava,” Invi said. “But this is ridiculous. We have our roles to fill.”

Ava glared around at her fellow foretellers. “Blayne,” She said, finally. “Why did you summon us, exactly? Why did you create the reentry?”

“Because I was going to, right?” Luxu laughed. “I was going to do it later, when the universe and the keyblade wielders that dwelt within it were more receptive to what needs to be done. So you decided to bring everyone in too soon. Shuffle events. Bring them  _ all _ back, early. Try to ruin  _ everything _ .”

“You were going to use us,” Brain said to him. “Me, and Sean, and Astrid, and Igni, and Ven, and all those people I used to know but  _ don’t _ anymore. You were going to use us to hurt everyone. Of course I wanted to stop that.”

“You really  _ are _ just like your mother,” Luxu sighed.

~*~*~*~

Axel still had no idea what was going on, but he did know a few things.

One, it was raining.

The water soaked through his coat, chilling him in a way he had never experienced before. He couldn’t even summon a flame to warm himself, not that he was sure that was a good idea anyways. If he  _ did _ manage a fire, that might be taken as a sign of aggression, and all the incredibly stressed keyblade wielders around him were  _ probably _ a bit twitchy.

Two, there were a lot of keyblades around him, embedded into the ground all around them.

It was tempting, dreadfully tempting, to reach out and take one, just to feel secure in his surroundings. That was about as bad of an idea as fire, for about the same reasons, and without the added bonus of potentially keeping him warm.

Three. Three… 

Something was wrong with the atmosphere of this place, beyond the physical oddity of the keyblade concentration. It felt too old, and sad, and dead to him. It wasn’t a feeling he appreciated.

“You really  _ are _ just like your mother,” Xigbar sighed.

Ava put her hands on her son’s shoulders protectively.

“Seriously think we should go,” Axel said.

“Heh,” Xigbar said. “You’re probably right. Not much to do here, right?”

“Luxu--” Aced began.

“Nope, bye,” Xigbar said, opening a corridor.

A bolt of lightning struck it, destabilizing it.

“Yeah, you like that?” A voice called from atop a nearby bluff. “Larxene picked it up to bother Marluxia, and I inherited it to bother you!”

“What?” Axel yelled, looking first to Xigbar, then to the source of the voice.

“Elrena?” Brain asked. “How are--”

Elrena cackled, and lept, landing lightly at the edge of the group. Behind her, Namine and Vanitas descended at a bit more of a reasonable pace.

“They need a devoted wiki to whatever is going on right now,” Axel muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to stick around and write a proper author's note but this essay will not be writing itself and I'm pretty sure I'm expected to double its length so bye


	75. Some People Get Really Pedantic About Ages For A Hot Minute

Aqua sighed as she and the others beat up another round of Heartless.

“Okay, so, maybe they were wrong,” Ephemer said.

“Even if they weren’t, this place is huge,” Dawn said. “If the Heartless are  _ forming  _ here in any amount, clearing the whole thing’s just not practical.”

“Let’s head back to town and figure out what to do from there,” Aqua said. “Try and contact Master Yen Sid, ask him why he didn’t give us a way to get closer to where everyone’s set up with reasonable accuracy.”

They were about to actually start leaving, as opposed to just talking about it, when a neoshadow Heartless rounded the corner, being attacked by about five Unversed and looking about as upset as a Heartless could be expected to look over the whole situation.

“Well,” Aqua muttered as the Heartless disintegrated. “We know who  _ is _ staying here.”

“Hm?” Ephemer said.

“Those,” Aqua said, pointing at the Unversed. “They’re Unversed. Vanitas controls them.”

“Huh,” Ephemer said. “They’re… kinda cute.”

“I’ve had a lot of near death experiences involving them,” Aqua said.

A flood melted into the ground and glided towards them, before popping up and chirping curiously. Aqua hopped back, pointing her keyblade at it.

“I think it wants us to follow it,” Strelitzia said.

“Right to a death trap,” Aqua hummed, but she stayed with the others as they followed the small collection of Unversed.

They arrived in a regular, empty hallway. One of the Unversed began to scratch at the wall.

“Or, they’re dumb as bricks,” Dawn said. “That’s also possible.”

Strelitzia knelt down and started scratching the flood under its nominal chin. “You have the same number of brain cells as a sack of oatmeal,” She cooed. “You literally could not find your own feet with a map.”

The flood purred, wiggling to a degree that Dawn might have mistaken it for a dusk if it had been a bit taller.

“Why’d they walk us all the way here, though?” Ephemer wondered aloud. “I mean, they’re  _ acting _ like something’s here.”

“Maybe they’re lost,” Dawn said. “There  _ are _ a lot of hallways like this.”

“I still think we’re in for a death trap,” Aqua muttered.

~*~*~*~

“So,” Axel said. “Do you have, like, a fever or something? You’re looking kinda red.  _ Not _ sure you should be out in this weather.”

“No one asked  _ you _ , brickhead,” Vanitas snapped.

“Vanitas,” Namine said. “What has Merlin told you about manners?”

Vanitas crossed his arms and grumbled unintelligibly.

They were standing off to the side while Elrena and Xigbar/Luxu/whatever they were calling him now duked it out.

“I feel like I should be involved in that,” Axel said, pointing.

“Ah, but see,” Namine said. “If  _ you _ get involved, then  _ we _ will get involved.”

“Fair enough,” Axel said.

The three of them turned their attention to where Brain and the people in funny animal masks were arguing.

“Hey, you know, that one guy’s got a bear mask,” Axel said. “Demyx said his cousin wore one of those when he was a kid.”

“Oh, really?” Namine asked.

“Why do we care about this?” Vanitas added.

“I dunno,” Axel said. “Just… trying to make conversation.”

They hung out awkwardly for about a minute.

“Weren’t you standing last time I saw you?” Axel asked Vanitas.

“That’s a rude question,” Vanitas said.

“Really is,” Namine said.

“Sorry,” Axel said.

Another pause.

Namine pointed at the other group of people who were awkwardly hanging out. “I’m gonna go talk to them.”

“Sounds fun,” Vanitas said.

“If I don’t come with you, I’ll have to think of some other excuse not to get involved in that.” Axel jerked a thumb at the physical combat that was going on.

The three of them went over to the other group, and introductions were made.

“So, what brings you?” Namine asked.

“Our brother had weird dreams and found a weird book and decided to ruin Luxu’s plans, that he dreamed about, and also read in the book,” Sean said. “We didn’t really have anything else to do with our time, so we’ve been helping out.”

“Oh, I get that,” Namine said. “Most of my siblings are trying to shut down Axel’s place of work. I’m largely along for the ride at this point.”

“And to ‘keep us out of trouble’,” Vanitas added, making air quotes with his fingers.

“Well, you won’t do it on your own,” Namine said. “And our other sisters can’t be responsible for you  _ all _ the time.”

“ _ Technically _ \--” Vanitas began.

“Seriously, how many of you are there?” Axel asked. “And how are you  _ all _ related?”

Namine clapped her hands together. “Wouldn’t you like to know!”

“And  _ you _ were getting on  _ my _ case about manners,” Vanitas said.

“Kids sure talk fast these days,” Igni said.

“You were like that, too,” Astrid said.

Igni sputtered indignantly. “You-- I-- We-- You’re only a year older than me!”

“You know what else is a true thing?” Sean said. “I’m not even thirty. We’re  _ not _ old by any means. I don’t think we get to complain about ‘kids these days’.”

Namine looked at Vanitas. “How old are you, chronologically, again?” She asked. “I mean,  _ physically _ and  _ probably _ mentally, we’re the same age, but I’m like a year old or something, so…”

“That’s funky,” Astrid offered.

“Hm,” Vanitas said. “Are we  _ counting _ time stop coma extravaganza? Or no?”

“Hey, what?” Igni asked.

“Let’s not,” Namine said. “If you weren’t doing anything, it doesn’t count.”

“Cool, okay,” Vanitas said. “So then, I’m, like… four or five, then, I guess.”

“Hey,  _ what _ ?” Sean asked.

“That’s just how it is sometimes,” Axel said. “If we  _ want  _ to debate on how one counts seperate people, then I’m… uh… I guess I’d be either nine or twenty… three? Twenty three? I think that’s the right number?”

“ _ Do _ we want to debate as to how one counts separate people?” Igni asked.

“The science squad decided that Nobodies are probably different from their originals,” Namine said. “I’m not a scientist, myself. Or a philosopher, or anything like that, but it makes sense to me.”

“Cool,” Axel said. “So, arguably, I’m nine. That’s kinda weird.”

“Someone get this man a juice box,” Sean deadpanned.

“I actually keep a package of them with me at all times,” Vanitas said.

Sean snickered.

“No, seriously,” Vanitas said. “Here.”

He reached under his chair to a small pocket and withdrew a few juice boxes.

Axel half reached for one. Vanitas opened them and began to drink them all at once.

Sean nearly fell out of his own chair from laughing.

“Hey,” Axel said, offended. “I know exactly what I did to deserve that, but that doesn’t mean you have to  _ do _ it.”

“Yeah,” Namine said. “Come on, Vanitas. You should have saved one for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dawn: If the Heartless are forming around here in any amounts  
Ansem's Heartless Machine: *embarrassed whirring*
> 
> Axel: Then again, I'm pretty sure Nobodies stop aging when we hit adulthood  
Namine: Where did you get that idea?  
Axel: it.... /sounds/ right........
> 
> I think I've got seven papers I have to be writing right now (o.o;) I am so glad I decided to take summer semesters off because I will be DEAD


	76. Saix Is A Bit Of A Bastard And Kairi Has A Chart

“That scratching,” Ienzo said. “Did a Heartless get past the Unversed? Or does one of the Unversed want in?”

“Either way, let’s leave the door closed for now,” Even said. “Best not to let them get in the habit of coming in and out.”

“I dunno,” Kairi said. “It might be important.”

Aeleus looked between the two of them. “I’m still not entirely clear on the distinction,” He admitted.

“As far as it  _ matters _ ?” Kairi said. “The Unversed are on our side.”

“So, why  _ not _ let it in?” Aeleus asked.

“They’re animal,” Even said. “They get underfoot, demand  _ constant _ attention--”

“They’re negative emotions made manifest,” Kairi said. “It’s  _ better _ that they’re overly cuddly, as opposed to any other alternative.”

The pair dissolved into bickering, and Ienzo and Aeleus shrugged at each other. Ienzo opened the wall.

The Unversed that had been scratching at it entered and started rubbing against his legs, and the people on the other side of the wall let out various yells of confusion.

~*~*~*~

The wall opened, and everyone yelled all at once. They all yelled different things. Strelitzia, for example, swore.

“Oh, hello,” Said a man none of them had ever met. He didn’t seem all that concerned about them, actually. “Can I help you with something?”

“Is Elrena here?” Ephemer asked. He didn’t seem  _ recovered _ from the surprise, but he was working on pulling himself together.

“I’m afraid she’s out, at the moment,” The man said. “Investigating some anomaly we couldn’t talk her into leaving alone. Are you friends of hers?”

“Yes,” Strelitzia said.

“Somewhat,” Ephemer said.

“I think so,” Dawn offered.

“It’s hard to tell with her, I think,” Aqua said.

The man didn’t seem quite sure what to do with that. He glanced behind himself, worry starting to show through on his face.

Another, buffer man appeared behind him. “Who are you?” He asked.

“I’m Aqua,” Aqua said. “These are Dawn, Ephemer, and Strelitzia.”

“Oh!” The first man said, concern receding and cheer returning to his expression. “Would you like to come in?”

“Uh…” Aqua said.

“We have to introduce  _ ourselves _ , too,” The second man reminded him.

“Right,” The first man said, a little sheepishly. “I’m still not… used to doing that, again.”

~*~*~*~

After a round of introductions, and bringing everyone inside, and doing some more introductions, Aqua felt… a  _ little _ bit more relaxed.

It would have  _ helped _ , of course, if Strelitzia would have put down the flood she was carrying.

“Seriously,” She said. “Where do you  _ get _ these little guys? They’re  _ adorable _ .”

“Vanitas,” Ienzo and Aqua said, in two very different tones of voice.

“That guy,” Ephemer said. “How’d you meet him?”

“He was camping out in here when I was recompleted,” Ienzo said. Then he glanced at Kairi. “Also, we’re kind of cousins, I guess.”

“Hm?” Aqua said.

“I’ve got a chart,” Kairi said. “I could go over it.”

“You know what?” Aqua decided. “It can wait.”

“Okay,” Kairi said, a little disappointed.

“And… where is he right now?” Aqua asked.

Ienzo hopped up onto a control panel, deftly avoiding all the actual controls as Even winced and half reached to remove him. “Here,” Ienzo said, proudly pointing at a spot on the map. “Apparently, it’s called the keyblade graveyard, which has a lot of implications--”

“Why is he  _ there _ ?” Aqua asked. “Why did you  _ let _ him go there? Do you have any idea what happened  _ last time _ any amount of people were there, including him?”

“Well, no one’s really in charge, at the moment,” Even said. “Elrena was going to go anyways, so Vanitas and Namine opted to accompany her.”

Aqua made a sound somewhere between a sigh and a groan.

“Is the keyblade graveyard dangerous?” Strelitzia asked. “To an inherent degree, where it is definitely a bad idea not to back up even a fully skilled wielder?”

“It  _ is _ where the war happened,” Ephemer said.

“Last time I went there, I lost my two best friends to getting possessed,” Aqua said. “One of them is  _ still _ possessed. The other is…” Her gaze slid over to Ven, unconscious and laid out on a table, for lack of a better place to put him at the moment.

“Mm,” Strelitzia said. “Maybe we should--”

“If there’s  _ that _ much of an issue, Namine will make them come back,” Ienzo said. “I’m still not sure whether it’s mutual, in fact I would be more surprised if it was, but I  _ do _ trust her.”

“What did you do?” Ephemer asked mildly.

“Ah,” Ienzo said. “We… can… talk about that later!” He hopped down from the control panel and pointed to the back of the room. “I’d suspect we’re getting another ally very soon!”

The sudden manic quality of the man’s endless reserves of energy was not as concerning to the newcomers as the shape forming vaguely in the back of the room.

~*~*~*~

Xaldin entered the room where Saix was trying to do paperwork.

“Thought I  _ locked _ that door,” Saix muttered.

“You did, I’m just completely intangible and will probably die in the next ten minutes,” Xaldin said.

“So what I’m hearing,” Saix said. “Is that you couldn’t knock.”

“Knock knock,” Xaldin deadpanned.

“Who’s there?” Saix asked.

Xaldin blinked at him for a solid seven seconds, which Saix found rather impressive, considering the man’s impression of his own remaining time.

“This isn’t a fucking knock knock joke,” Xaldin said finally.

“This isn’t a fucking knock knock joke… who?”

“Saix, what the  _ fuck _ ?”

Saix maintained his composure at the outburst. He had plenty of experience maintaining his composure, and it wasn’t as though he hadn’t been expecting it.

“What do you need, Xaldin?” Saix asked, as though he hadn’t just been tormenting the man.

“I need to know if we have anything like-- like-- I don’t know, like ‘stop being intangible’ juice, or something,” Xaldin said.

Saix was about to say that no, they did not have any ‘stop being intangible’ juice, but then he did not. According to theory, Axel’s experience, and a few cryptic remarks from Xigbar over the years, if Xaldin believed something would solve the problem, it very well could.

“You know,” Saix said instead of saying anything else. “We might. I’ll have to check.” He got up and went to the miniature refrigerator he had managed to get in the room he’d claimed for an office, opening it.

Most of the things in it were normal drinks, and very obviously so. They wouldn’t work. There were also a few potions, a few ethers, and an elixir there in the back.

He also had a strange looking drink Axel had brought back from some world and given to him, and he’d been unwilling to actually drink because he wasn’t sure what it did.

He took that. It’d do.

“Here,” He said. “This should work.”

“Why did we not use this when it was just my hand?” Xaldin grumbled.

“Because I forgot I had it,” Saix said, biting back a remark of  _ you big baby _ .

They nearly dropped the bottle, on account of Xaldin’s present intangibility.

Eventually, Saix awkwardly managed to get the liquid into his mouth.

Xaldin vanished on the spot.

Saix looked at where he had been. “Motherfucker,” He said calmly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saix: Xaldin? hey, Xaldin?  
Xaldin:  
Saix: omfg he's fuckin dead
> 
> Was Saix in the right to feed Xaldin this unknown liquid? Vote now on your phones
> 
> I was thinking this weekend about how, like, most people would do like 👀 but Xigbar is a capricious sort who would do ⚫👁️. I don't know why I've been thinking about this so much.


	77. Ienzo Is Kind Of Emo Because Of Evil Science And Demyx Is Not Really Good With Children

“Dilan!” Ienzo said brightly.

“You were never this happy to see me  _ before _ ,” Dilan said, sitting up and rubbing his head.

“Convenient timing, I assure you,” Even said.

“Also, he was emo before,” Aeleus said.

Ienzo shot him a dirty look, the effect of which was somewhat lessened by the bang covering his one eye.

“No, I think that still applies,” Dilan said.

“Hey!” Ienzo said.

Dilan stood, and looked around, eyes eventually settling on Ephemer. “You,” He said.

“Yes, I am the Somebody of who you’re thinking,” Ephemer said. “Probably, anyways. I’m not psychic, so I don’t  _ know _ who you’re thinking of.”

“You two are… similar,” Dilan decided.

“I thought we weren’t bringing that up,” Ienzo said. “Or else  _ I _ would have brought it up. What  _ have _ you been up to since you were recompleted?”

“Oh, are you Zexion’s Somebody? I thought you looked a little familiar. You’ve certainly grown up.” Ephemer swung the bag off his shoulder. “I’ve been using Vexen’s and Zexion’s notes as a starting point, to try and figure out what the hell was going on with pretty much everything, ever.”

He started digging papers out of the bag. The onlookers who had not seen him pack it watched, at first with mild interest, but eventually with blatant and intense fascination as it became increasingly clear that the bag had been enchanted to hold all that.

Ienzo reached towards a stack of paper, eyes practically glowing with anticipation. Even grabbed the back of his lab coat.

Ephemer shrugged. “The more the merrier,” He said. “Dig in.”

Ienzo ditched the coat and ran off with a stack of paper before anyone could think of stopping him. Even and Kairi were not far behind with their own stacks.

Dilan sighed. “Scientists,” He said. “Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”

“They could have read those in here,” Ephemer said. “Although, I suppose they’re going to end up filing them into the library system of this castle.”

“It’s a nice castle,” Dawn said.

“It is,” Ephemer said. “I just hope they leave my name on my stuff.”

“They’re scientists,” Aeleus said. “Plagiarism is an offense worse than murder.”

~*~*~*~

Sora, Donald, and Goofy stopped, face to face with Demyx and Roxas.

“Hi!” Roxas said brightly.

“Roxas, I think this guy’s gonna kill us, though,” Demyx said. “I, at least, would like to not die, just yet. I don’t even have a will.”

“You can’t just  _ assume _ that he’s gonna kill us,” Roxas said.

“Yeah, come on!” Sora agreed. “That’s just rude.”

Demyx put his head in his hands, and muttered something about not understanding why he personally had been made even temporarily in charge of a child.

“You’re Aqua’s friend, right?” Goofy asked.

“Yeah,” Demyx said, a little nervously. “Where’d you hear about that?”

“Elrena said.” Sora shrugged.

“Who’s that?” Roxas asked.

“Hey, you know what?” Demyx said. “I really think it’s time to go. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go home and do whatever we want. Let’s get a move on!”

“I literally haven’t left the castle for anything that wasn’t work since you dragged me to San Fransokyo,” Roxas said. “I am literally required to be escorted at all times while off the premises. Who is Elrena?”

“Larxene but not evil,” Sora said.

“Basically,” Goofy added.

“Wait, I thought Larxene died or something,” Roxas said.

“Yeah, that was part of the process,” Donald said.

Roxas considered that. “Huh,” He said. “Hey, Demyx? Why didn’t I hear about this before?” He started tugging on Demyx’s sleeve.

“Oh,” Demyx said, awkwardly. “There’s a…  _ perfectly _ logical explanation for that. It’s, uh…”

“Xigbar’s evil,” Sora said.

Demyx looked around nervously, and then sighed. “Yeah, basically that. Please do not tell anyone about this, you would very probably get me killed, and that is the last thing I need right now.”

“Are you… planning something?” Roxas asked.

“… No?” Demyx suggested.

Roxas blinked at him for a few seconds. “Okay,” He decided.

No one was really sure if he was genuine or not, but no one really wanted to push it, as everyone around him  _ was _ planning on killing Xigbar, a little bit, and it was probably better if he didn’t know. Or, at the very least, it was probably better if no one could  _ prove _ he knew.

“We… really should get back to work,” Demyx said.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Roxas said. “Hey, Sora, you wanna kill some Heartless with me?”

“Yeah!” Sora said. “Let’s do it!”

~*~*~*~

Elrena was blown back, skidding to a stop right in the middle of where Brain and Ava were still arguing with the rest of the foretellers.

“Do you mind, actually?” Ira asked.

“Uh, a bit,” Elrena said.

Luxu, for his part, summoned a dark corridor and left.

“Hey!” Axel said, offended.

“Gotta go now, huh?” Vanitas deadpanned.

“Probably soon,” Axel said. “Hey, uh, you! Blonde lady! Elrena?”

“What?” Elrena said.

“What’s your deal with Larxene?”

“Fuck you is what!” Elrena said. “Get back to your dumb evil castle before anyone notices you’re hanging out!”

“Fuck you too, I guess!” Axel said, summoning a dark corridor of his own and moving through it.

There was a bit of a pause.

“So,” Elrena said. “What are  _ you _ lot fighting over?”

“Keyblade war,” Brain said.

“Hasn’t that been over for, like, a thousand years?” Elrena asked.

“They want to have another one,” Ava said.

“Mm,” Elrena said. She turned to Ira. “You were my union leader and I trusted you, and now I’m super mad at you.”

“It’s necessary for a--” Ira began.

“It is  _ not _ ,” Elrena said. “We do  _ not _ need that level of death, mayhem, and overall suffering again.”

“The timeline is set,” Aced said. “If we do not--”

“The timeline is  _ not _ gonna collapse if you don’t get us all killed,” Elrena said. “If I can last to this day and age because my heart and body got seperated and did not technically exist, the timeline can handle a lot of people  _ not _ murdering each other.”

“It  _ was _ predicted that some number of people from before would be here now,” Invi said. “That’s why we felt we could come forward to--”

“You are trying to justify killing a war sized amount of people, permanently,” Namine said, from where she sat off to the side. “I doubt I know all of them, but I know they haven’t done enough wrong to warrant that. There’d be no way to bring them back or for their memories to persist afterwards. It’s probably not their only out from an extremely shitty situation that is  _ also _ attempting to shenanigan the whole universe into so many problems.”

“What she’s saying is that you’re fucking idiots,” Vanitas said. “Also, assholes.”

“I am also saying that,” Elrena said. She pointed at Gula. “Fuck you.” At Aced. “Fuck you.” At Invi. “Fuck you.” At Ira. “Fuck you.” At Ava. “You’re alright, I guess. I’m out.” She pointed her keyblade and summoned a light corridor. “Come on, you two. We should probably warn everyone about this fuckery.”

Vanitas and Namine followed her through the corridor.

“Yeah, her being one of Ira’s tracks,” Invi said casually.

“Shut up,” Ira said, mostly jokingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first wrote that last scene, I forgot Elrena was canonically in Unicornis and put her in Leopardis and had Invi joke that she should have been in Unicornis because of her temper (Ira representing wrath and all). But she... /is/ in Unicornis. So now the scene is like that.
> 
> I've been listening to precisely one song from the disney descendants movies and my brain desperately wants to do something with it but uhhhhh I don't really have any plotlines "Queen of Mean" works with in anything I've got written. Hyperfixation is usually a blessing when it comes to projects, but not this time u.u
> 
> Also I adore Vanitas as an anger translator.


	78. Demyx's new, fake job

Kairi slid into a chair across from Even. “I wanted to ask you a few things about the replica program,” She said.

“Once the Organization is no longer happening, I should be able to get the notes for it and use them to create a replica for Vanitas so he and Xion can be independent of each other,” Even said.

“Cool, and I’m glad,” Kairi said. “But not what I’m asking.”

“Then what  _ are _ you asking?” Even looked at her quizzically, pushing aside a stack of papers.

“Xion was supposed to be a replica of Sora, right?” Kairi said. “So, how does that work? How was that  _ supposed _ to work?”

“Ah,” Even said. “Well… Vexen’s memories are distinctly separate from my own, but I should be able to recall…” He pondered for a long moment.

Kairi drummed her fingers on the table absently.

“He had Namine catch some wisps of Sora’s memory,” Even said finally. “Nothing he’d notice, since he didn’t enter Castle Oblivion, but a few things. Then he had her implant them in Xion’s budding heart, to give her form. I-- I’m not sure why she… looks so much like the two of you, actually.”

“Okay,” Kairi said. “See, I was thinking. Ventus and Vanitas’ hearts were with Sora before Roxas and Namine were born, right?”

“That certainly  _ seems _ to be the case,” Even allowed.

“And Ventus’ heart is in Roxas now,” Kairi continued.

Even nodded.

“So, Vanitas should have been with one of the Nobodies created from that instance, too,” Kairi said.

“You’re suggesting he was with Namine?” Even said.

Kairi nodded. “And now he’s with Xion, who  _ also _ has black hair, and otherwise looks rather a bit like Namine and I.”

Even’s eyes widened. “She might  _ not _ be a replica of Sora,” He breathed. “How did I not realize--”

“She might be,” Kairi said. “She might be a replica of Namine, Vanitas,  _ and _ Sora. But she might not be. I was just… thinking about it, is all.”

“It’s an interesting thought,” Even allowed. “What was in your selection of Ephemer’s papers, by the way?”

“A few early notes of the replica program, which is what got me thinking,” Kairi said. “Also some stuff on Nobodies, a whole write-up on how weird Xigbar is, and what looks like half the rules for a board game.”

“Ah, that would go with this, then.” Even reached for a smaller pile that had been off to the side from the start. “Looks  _ kind of _ fun. Maybe once this is all over, everyone can wind down by having a solid week of board games.”

Kairi considered that. “We could do board games  _ now _ ,” She said. “I mean, we’ve been doing a lot of sitting around being bored. Might as well be sitting around having fun.”

~*~*~*~

“So,” Elrena said, entering the lab, Vanitas and Namine behind her. She turned to Aeleus. “I’ve got bad news, and I’ve got worse news. When’s everyone coming back?”

“When they get done going through the absolute hell pile that is every sheet of paper I’ve accumulated over the past four years,” Ephemer said.

Elrena’s attention snapped to him. “You really  _ are _ alive!” She said, surprise drowning out all other emotion.

“Yeah,” Ephemer said. “You been talking to Demyx?”

Elrena didn’t answer, instead beelining to lift Ephemer over her head. “You fucking idiot!” She laughed. Then she looked around. “Litzi! Skuld!”

“Uh,” Dawn said. “About that.”

Ephemer had already been discarded as Elrena pulled Strelitzia and Dawn into a hug. Strelitzia leaned into it. Dawn patted Elrena’s back awkwardly and shot Ephemer a desperate look.

Ephemer, for his part, had landed on his hands, and was giving her a look that indicated she was on her own.

“Uh, m-- Elrena?” Dawn said. “I’m, uh…”

“Oh,” Elrena said, pulling back from Dawn and Strelitzia. “New Skuld?”

“ _ Nobody _ of new Skuld,” Dawn said. “Theoretically, anyways. Definitely a Nobody, look a lot like the previous Skuld, assuming that there were no intervening Skulds.”

Elrena laughed, a little. “Yeah, assuming,” She said, ending the hug entirely. “It’s… kinda weird, thinking about how much things have changed for the rest of the world.”

“I haven’t seen much of it,” Strelitzia said. “I’ve been… a bit busy with everything else that’s been happening, I guess.”

“Fair enough,” Elrena said. “And, hey-- Who said you could age  _ better _ than me?”

The two of them laughed.

Things weren’t the same as they’d been, they knew, and they were never going to be. But it was nice to laugh.

~*~*~*~

Demyx stiffened when Xigbar appeared next to him.

“What’s going on here, then?” Xigbar asked.

“I couldn’t stop them,” Demyx said. “They’re like hurricanes on wheels, and I did as much as I could without risking that destructive force turning on  _ me _ .”

“I’ll handle it,” Xigbar said. “The boss has another job for you. You’re looking for Xion again.”

“I--” Demyx began. Then he tried again. “Where?”

“Wherever you think she  _ might _ be,” Xigbar said. “Don’t come back until you’ve found her.”

Demyx wanted to argue. He wanted to point out how they weren’t getting missions on their own anymore, except for Marluxia that one time when Xion had been in the Underworld and he’d been talking to the boss about something else already. He wanted to point out how unlikely it was for the boss to send  _ him _ on a long term mission with little to no direction, especially when they theoretically  _ could _ track Xion. He wanted to point out how very much this looked like a scheme on Xigbar’s part to get him declared a traitor and killed.

But, then again, this was  _ Xigbar _ . Number two. He  _ usually _ wasn’t the one delivering assignments, but it wasn’t unrealistic that he might do so. He’d done so before, even if it was an irregular occurrence. Besides, Demyx  _ was _ a traitor. So was Axel, really, and  _ Axel _ was the person in charge of killing traitors. The two of them were traitors together.

And even if Demyx died, his Somebody would probably come back. Larxene’s had, after all.

“Alright,” He said, finally.

“Great, off you go,” Xigbar said.

“Shouldn’t we… tell Roxas?” Demyx said. As much he  _ didn’t _ tell the kid, he figured it was just common decency to let him know he was under new supervision.

“I’ll handle it,” Xigbar laughed. “Seriously, get going.”

Demyx hesitated.

Xigbar’s expression got a little more serious.

“Hey, Roxas!” Demyx yelled. “I’m heading out! Xigbar’s gonna watch you!”

Roxas’ head snapped towards them in shock, but Demyx wasn’t really watching him. He was looking at Xigbar, and wondering if it was his imagination making him think the other man’s expression darkened for a small moment.

He didn’t have time to examine the situation further.

He summoned a dark corridor and left.

~*~*~*~

“Been a while, huh Sora?” Xigbar said.

“I guess,” Sora said cagily. He went over what he knew about Xigbar in his head. In the Organization. People listened to him. Evil. Incredibly useful knowledge, over all.

“What have you been up to?” Xigbar asked, seemingly unperturbed by Sora’s caution. “Keeping busy?”

“Yup,” Sora said, glancing at Roxas for a cue as to how to deal with the situation.

Roxas didn’t seem to have any more of an idea of what to do than Sora.

“You know? I think we should be going,” Donald said. “We’ve been out and about for a while. I’m tired. Are you tired, Sora? I bet you’re tired.”

“Not really,” Sora said. He might have considered pretending to be, in order to get out of the situation, as he really did not like being around Xigbar. However, that would have meant abandoning Roxas to be  _ alone _ with the guy, which, while inevitable, was  _ not _ something Sora wanted to do to his Nobody/brother.

“Eh, you probably still should get home,” Xigbar said. “I’d bet someone’s worried about you by now, right? Besides, it looks like we’re  _ just about _ out of Heartless here, which means it’s almost time for Roxas and I to go, too.”

Sora hesitated. He glanced at Roxas, who shot him a nervous smile.

“Alright,” Sora said. “Bye, Roxas. See you around?”

“Totally,” Roxas said. Sora could almost believe the other boy felt as light hearted as he was trying to sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're popping back to 3 updates a week for a few reasons!
> 
> 1) I'm on break for the next 2 weeks, as opposed to the expected 1  
2) anyone who's in quarantine and keeping up with this fic might be in need of More Content because quarantine and responsible social distancing are boring  
3) I've been like "oh man i'm almost done with this" for the past *checks* many chapters, so theoretically I'll actually finish writing this at some point this year. From there it's just the buffer.  
4) i dropped one of my english classes because i refuse to die from my own hubris
> 
> So yeah we're back on the old schedule. Welcome to the plague, I had a suspiciously coherent Castlevania dream and the only weird things were the fire physics and the fact that one dude had green hair and sunglasses, like those were gonna save him from me kicking his ass with my vampire powers.


	79. A Trip To The Library Is A Great Time To Dump Exposition On Your Coworker

“Ah, Axel, there you are,” Saix said. “You and Marluxia have a mission.”

“Oh, yeah?” Axel said.

“Yeah,” Saix said. “You two are going to be collecting records from the castle at the Hollow Bastion.”

“Sounds fun and dandy,” Axel said. “Alright, so I just have to meet up with him and head out?”

“That first part won’t take long,” Marluxia said.

“Cool, awesome,” Axel said. “What records are we looking for?”

“Lord Xemnas is looking into reincarnation for…  _ some _ reason,” Saix said. “So, anything that might be about that.”

“Ah,” Axel said. “Alrighty, let’s… let’s get that done, I guess.”

Axel and Marluxia departed swiftly for the Hollow Bastion. They emerged from their dark corridor in a secluded room containing about seventeen Heartless.

“Oh, joy,” Marluxia deadpanned.

“Hey, if you like this, you’re going to be over the moon from what I’ve got to tell you,” Axel said as the pair quickly dispatched the creatures.

“Do I  _ want _ to know?” Marluxia sighed.

“I dunno,” Axel said. “But, you probably should.”

“Fair enough,” Marluxia decided. “What is it, then?”

“So, reeeaaally long story short, I met some people who knew Xigbar, right?” Axel sent a stream of fire past Marluxia’s head, destroying a Heartless coming up behind him. “And, apparently, he was, at one point, called ‘Luxu’.”

“He  _ what _ ?”

Axel froze as Marluxia’s scythe found itself two inches from his throat. “Dude,” He said.

“You  _ cannot _ be serious,” Marluxia said. “There’s-- There’s  _ no _ way!”

“Marluxia,” Axel said. “You are here. Larxene was born  _ around _ the same time period as you. Why is this impossible?”

Marluxia faltered. “Why--” He began, and then shook his head, lowering his scythe completely. “No, I know why, don’t I? He’s a manipulative bastard. That’s his whole thing.”

“Let’s go get those records, huh?” Axel said, moving to the door and opening it.

He paused.

Then, he closed the door.

“Which one?” Marluxia sighed.

“Riku is here,” Axel said, pleasantly. “Like,  _ here _ here. In this castle, for some  _ forsaken _ reason. Were you aware of that? Because I was  _ not _ .”

“I’m not dreadfully  _ surprised _ ,” Marluxia allowed. “But I wasn’t aware of Riku personally being present.”

There was a knock on the door.

“Uh,” Axel said.

“I’ve got this,” Marluxia said, approaching the door. More loudly, he said, “No solicitors!”

“How is that going to help?” Axel hissed.

“Now we move,” Marluxia said, summoning a new dark corridor. “To a library, perhaps? Where something we are looking for might be?”

“Sounds good,” Axel said.

~*~*~*~

Kairi and Even looked up from comparing their notes as a dark corridor appeared.

“Uh,” Even said as Axel and Marluxia stepped out.

“Today just keeps getting worse, somehow,” Axel said. “Hi, there.”

“Hi,” Kairi said. “Are you here for a fight, or can you go?”

“Neither of those things,” Marluxia said. “Does this library have a check out system?”

Even and Kairi looked back at each other.

“No,” Even decided.

“Shit, I guess we’re stealing,” Axel said. 

“Hey,” Kairi said. “That’s rude.”

“Perhaps,” Axel said. “But as I’ve mentioned before, I have a job and I  _ do _ in fact need to do it.”

Kairi considered that. Even considered that.

“If we…  _ set up _ a check out system,” Even said. “Would you return the books on time?”

Axel and Marluxia exchanged a glance. “We could… try,” Marluxia allowed.

“I mean, we’d pass that along, certainly,” Axel said. “Not sure what the boss would do, on that.”

“Give me a few minutes,” Kairi said. “I’ll get the old library computer running, and we can get you two library cards, and  _ then _ you can check something out.”

“I  _ cannot _ believe that this is happening,” Axel declared.

“You’re not the only one,” Even said.

~*~*~*~

“My lord?”

Xemnas looked up from the papers he had spread out across his work space. “Yes, Saix?”

“I… was unclear on why you could not collect the books yourself.” Saix forced himself to keep his feet still, his expression neutral. “You visit the Hollow Bastion regularly enough. Why send Axel and Marluxia?”

Xemnas turned back to his papers, and Saix remained absolutely still. Even Isa had been  _ alright _ at holding his position, better than Lea in any case, but Saix had mastered the skill. He had assumed that it had been due to his lack of heart, but now he supposed it was just something he expected of himself.

Xemnas began to collect his papers back into one stack, cleaning up the space. “There are too many other things there that would demand my attention,” He said finally. “I would not have the time or capacity to find and collect what I require. Does that answer your question?”

“Yes, sir,” Saix said, even though it only gave him  _ more _ questions. Questions about what his superior was  _ doing _ at the Hollow Bastion. Questions about what else might be there, that Axel and Marluxia might find on accident.

~*~*~*~

“Anyone in here?” Elrena called. “We’re having a fucking meeting or something, and I’m  _ sick _ of waiting for everyone to get back!”

She rounded a bookshelf, and stopped.

“Elrena,” Marluxia said.

“Hey, so, what’s this, then?” Elrena said, gesturing to the whole scene.

“Some of us use libraries properly and do not yell in them,” Axel said. “Marluxia, you know alternate universe Larxene or whatever?”

“Is  _ that _ what you decided I was?” Elrena snorted. “I’m almost willing to forgive you for being here, if you’re as funny as she remembered.”

“Why would Larxene think he was funny?” Marluxia asked. “He’s… really not.”

“Fuck you,” Axel said. “I’m hilarious.”

“You are  _ not _ ,” Kairi said.

“Hey, I have told  _ you _ zero jokes,” Axel said. “You don’t  _ know _ if I’m funny.”

Kairi fixed him with a level look. “I think I can make that determination  _ anyways _ .”

“Anyways,” Elrena said. “Kairi, Even, when you’re done here, get back to the central point of everything happening. I need to hunt down the others.”

“Right,” Even said. “This shouldn’t be too long. Just a few minutes.”

“Or hours, depending on how long it takes us to find the section with the right books,” Kairi said.

“I cannot  _ wait _ to explain this to our boss,” Axel said to Marluxia, relatively cheerfully. “‘Yeah, we got the books you wanted, but we need to give them back in like three weeks’. He’s gonna love it.”

“He’s going to silently judge us without revealing the juror’s vote,” Marluxia said. “Him and Saix both. And then they are going to kill us for completely unrelated reasons.”

“Also true,” Axel said. “Hey, though, we’ll be fine. It’s not gonna  _ stick _ .”

“You have issues and I am not entirely sure what they are,” Marluxia said.

“We  _ all _ have issues,” Axel said. “It’s one of the unifying traits of the Organization. We are Nobodies, we wear black coats, we have issues.”

Marluxia turned to Elrena. “I  _ still _ have to deal with this kind of bullshit,” He said.

Elrena was too busy trying not to buckle under her laughter to respond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hate the fact that I, as a human, need to sleep. Would much rather be writing.
> 
> Xemnas: I can't go to the library. My son is too close to it and I would have to hang out with him  
Saix: :|


	80. Sora Has Determination And Roxas Has Macaroni

After Elrena, Namine, and Vanitas had gathered everyone up and explained what was going on, and after everyone made sure everyone was introduced to everyone else, they were still faced with the issue of what to actually do about the whole situation.

“I mean,” Kairi said. “Even if we utterly destroy Xigbar, Luxu’s just going to pop back up as a Somebody and keep causing trouble.”

“We could… destroy him again?” Vanitas offered.

“Vanitas, that is actually called  _ murder _ , and I  _ really _ don’t want to do that to somebody who’s not going to persist in any way afterwards,” Sora said.

“Alright,” Vanitas said. “Last resort, then.”

Aqua gave him a skeptical look.

“Ideally, we talk it out,” Sora said. “Get him to realize that what he’s doing is wrong, and then he stops.”

“If he hasn’t considered that in a thousand years of trying to do this, I doubt he’s going to consider it now,” Elrena said. “Then again, there’s no accounting for  _ you _ , I guess.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sora demanded.

“Sora, why don’t you tell everyone here what your friends told  _ me _ ? About Xemnas?” Elrena crossed her arms.

“What did he do?” Ephemer said. “Elrena? What did he  _ do _ ?”

“The same thing he does with pretty much everyone else he ever meets,” Riku said. “He made friends.”

Ephemer decided that the table was the best place for his face to go.

Sora crossed his own arms. “Xigbar and Xemnas are  _ different _ . I don’t know how to describe it, but… I don’t know, Xigbar freaks me out. A lot.”

“Well, he is apparently Luxu, and attempting to bring about the keyblade war,” Strelitzia said.

“I’d suggest Sora’s skilled at reading people, but he’s gotten himself attached to Xemnas,” Ienzo said. “And, well… Xemnas  _ is _ looking into summoning Kingdom Hearts.”

“I think he just wants his memories back,” Sora said. “If we could find another way for him to do that, I think he’d go for it.”

“Sora,” Elrena said. “It’s sweet how forgiving you are, it really is, but not every bad person is a misguided good one. Not everyone is the hero of their own story. Some people  _ are just bad, and know they’re just bad, and don’t care _ .”

Sora shook his head. “I can’t accept that. I-- I  _ know _ that some people aren’t going to listen to me. I  _ know _ some people can’t be helped and don’t want to be. And maybe  _ Xigbar _ is one of those people, and maybe I can believe  _ that _ , but-- But I  _ refuse _ to believe the worst in someone who’s  _ just _ trying to figure himself out. I want to help Xemnas. I want to  _ try _ .”

~*~*~*~

“So,” Xemnas said. “We summon Kingdom Hearts, I get my memories back. Then what?”

“Well,” Xigbar said. “Presumably, then, you tell me the next step in your grand plan.”

“We  _ really _ thought this out, huh?” Xemnas said, unimpressed.

“It was  _ your _ idea,” Xigbar said.

Xemnas sighed. “I suppose it was.”

“May I offer some advice?” Xigbar said.

Xemnas looked at him. Xigbar looked more serious than he normally did, which was a little troubling. Even at the worst moments, Xigbar carried some amount of levity around him. The fact that he had none now…

“Go on,” Xemnas said.

“I think you should stop visiting Sora,” Xigbar said. He might have said something more, but he found hands around his neck.

“An interesting suggestion,” Xemnas said, the rage that caused his hands to shake at the throat of his long time supposed ally not reaching his voice or his face. “Care to explain it?”

Xigbar made some noises that did not require any of the air he was not presently receiving.

Xemnas studied him neutrally for a few more moments, and then released him, pushing him away.

“Look,” Xigbar said. “I know you care about the kid.  _ I _ don’t want anything to happen to him, either. He’s a good kid. But  _ that’s _ the problem. He’s  _ going _ to try to stop us.  _ My _ job is to look out for  _ you _ .”

Xemnas was silent for a long moment. He did not move. His expression did not change.

Finally, he sighed. “How many more hearts do we need to collect? We’re close, but  _ how _ close?”

“Barring any major surprises?” Xigbar said. “We should be ready in about two weeks.”

Xemnas looked out the window, up at the heart-shaped almost-moon gathering above the castle. “It’s… strange,” He said. “As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted this, and now it’s almost here.”

“Change is its own set of challenges,” Xigbar said, like some sort of fortune cookie. “But this  _ is _ what you’ve been after, even before you knew why. Even before you were  _ you _ . Aren’t you excited, too?”

Xemnas considered that for a long, hard moment. “Yes,” He said, finally. “I suppose so.”

~*~*~*~

Roxas was exploring the parts of the castle that no one used. There were quite a lot of them, and most of the others were fine with anything that kept him out of the way when he wasn’t otherwise needed.

That in mind, he opened a door.

Four people in animal masks looked up from eating some sort of pasta around what looked like some sort of board game.

“Uh,” Roxas said.

“Uh,” The one in the bear mask said.

“I think I’m at the wrong room,” Roxas decided, and started closing the door.

“No, wait,” The one in the leopard mask said. “Have some macaroni.”

“I… what?” Roxas asked.

“Come on,” The one in the unicorn mask agreed.

Two minutes later, Roxas was sitting with four people who he had now been introduced to, eating macaroni and watching them plan a war.

“Last time, we were somewhere more open,” Invi said. “I think the terrain will change things.”

“The outcome is written,” Ira argued. “We know what will happen, we just have to get it there.”

“The wielders of today will feel the draw,” Aced said. “All we have to do is contain the fallout.”

“Can I have some more macaroni?” Roxas asked.

“The timeline is already damaged,” Gula said, scooping some more macaroni into Roxas’ bowl. “We’re not supposed to be here yet, Luxu said that the hero might not trigger the events to bring the 𝚾-Blade back, and we might actually have  _ too many _ wielders, if we let  _ everyone _ get drawn in.”

“True, true,” Ira said. “Where’s that list Luxu made for us? Of all the wielders running around all edges of the worlds right now?”

“Here,” Aced said, holding up a piece of paper. “This Kushana character might have too much of an edge. Looks like  _ she’s _ a warrior princess.”

“That Master Nonaya looks like she might be an issue, too,” Invi said, before taking a large spoonful of her own macaroni.

“Who are those?” Roxas asked.

“They’ve got big keys, for hitting stuff,” Aced said. “Like us.”

“Oh,” Roxas said. “I also have big keys, for hitting stuff.” He summoned his keyblade, and then Aqua’s, for good measure.

“Oh, sh-- Oh, my, he’s got two of them.” Gula plucked Roxas’ keyblade out of his hand, turning it over. “A bit plain, this one, but…”

“Hey!” Roxas complained. “That’s  _ my _ shit! Give it back!”

“Language,” Invi said.

Roxas looked at her, less than amused. “Fuck,” He said. “Damn. Shit. H--”

Aced took the macaroni away.

  
“ _ Bastard! _ ” Roxas declared at full volume.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> forgot it was an update day bc i was reading


	81. DiZ Is Here To Be Cryptic And Leave

Luxord found Demyx in a large desert, on a world far from the center of anything else that was happening.

“Hey, man,” Demyx said. “Are people looking for me, or was Xigbar telling the truth?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Luxord said. “What brings  _ you _ here?”

“Theoretically, I’m looking for Xion,” Demyx said. “Figured I’d check on this place while I was at it, though, you know? Since apparently, it’s been a thousand years.”

“Was this place your home, once?” Luxord asked, looking around at the seemingly endless expanses of sand.

“I was only supposed to stay for a little while,” Demyx said. “To be honest, I don’t remember a lot, but…”

Luxord nodded. “I take it that it wasn’t nearly so empty, back in the day.”

“I remember the world breaking apart,” Demyx said. His expression was uncharacteristically hollow. “This place was close enough to the epicenter of it all to be ruined by it. Warriors made of fire burned the world to the ground.”

“You gave up your heart to survive,” Luxord said. It wasn’t a question; his own home had gone through a similar apocalypse. He had done the same.

Demyx nodded anyway. “That man… did you see him, too?”

“Salvation at the expense of identity,” Luxord agreed. “Was it worth it, do you think?”

Demyx shrugged. “I like living,” He offered. “The guy I was before… I think he liked it, too.”

Conversation cut off as footsteps cut through the air above the low hum of silence. The two of them turned, blinking in surprise as two large, flightless birds approached, tethered together. One carried bags, the other, a man.

“Who are you, then?” The man asked, dismounting his bird. “And what are you doing out here?”

Demyx and Luxord glanced at each other, and then Luxord stepped forward. “My niece went missing, some time ago,” He said. “We’ve been searching for her.”

“Well, you’ll find nothing but corpses out here,” The man said. “And you’ll be joining them soon enough, unless you’ve got more supplies than you seem to. Come with me.”

“Uh,” Demyx said.

“I wouldn’t want to impose,” Luxord said. “We’ll be fine, though. We’re more mobile than we look.”

The man looked unconvinced, but relented. “Very well,” He said. “I should be off, then. Can’t keep King Jihl waiting, in his condition.”

“Best of luck,” Luxord said.

“Likewise.” The man mounted his strange bird once more, and rode away.

~*~*~*~

Luxu opened the door to the room where he’d stashed most of the foretellers, and stopped.

“Oh,” Roxas said. “Hi.”

“You didn’t tell us there was a child,” Invi said. “Look at him. He’s a  _ baby _ .”

“Am  _ not _ ,” Roxas said.

“No, you kind of are,” Luxu said. “What are you doing here?”

“Eating macaroni,” Roxas said.

“That’s not what I--”

“He’s got  _ two keyblades _ ,” Ira said. “Not even the  _ master _ could  _ dual _ wield.”

“I was unaware of the second one,” Luxu said. “Why do you have two, Roxas?”

“One of them’s Aqua’s,” Roxas said. “I… picked it up back when I was in Castle Oblivion, and I didn’t have the chance to put it back.”

“Alright,” Luxu allowed.

“He summoned them both at the same time,” Gula said. “Even if he picked up the one later on,  _ that  _ shouldn’t have been possible.”

Roxas shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

“Which is exactly why he can,” Luxu said. “He’s a Nobody. Nobodies play by different rules than everyone else.”

“This kid is the deadliest person in the known universe,” Aced said. “Because he doesn’t think he  _ shouldn’t _ be?”

Roxas blinked in surprise.

“Anyways,” Luxu said, a little hurriedly. “How’s planning going? Any major changes?”

“If we let every keyblade wielder in the whole universe converge on this location due to the draw of Kingdom Hearts’ extended presence, there might be a clear winner before what’s supposed to happen actually does,” Gula said. “We’ve been discussing preventative measures. Keeping some of the stronger wielders from coming.”

“If each of us challenges one of them, we can keep five of the strongest wielders distracted,” Invi continued. “If this kid is willing to stay out of the war proper, that’s six, and if he’s willing to participate in the distraction, that’s seven, which should be enough.”

“My job is to kill Heartless, not to fight  _ people _ ,” Roxas said.

“Yeah,” Luxu said. “Besides which, Roxas and I have to be here, anyways. The war isn’t the only thing on the table.”

“So that’s  _ four _ ,” Ira said. “Not as good.”

“If we can figure out how to make sure the strongest wielders of this era arrive at the same time…” Aced muttered.

Luxu sighed. “Alright. Roxas, go get some rest. Don’t bring this up to anyone else, it’s none of their business. Adults are talking now.”

“Everyone else is also adults,” Roxas said.

“ _ Keyblade _ adults are talking now?” Invi suggested.

“So should I go get--”

“ _ Bedtime, kiddo. _ ”

~*~*~*~

Xemnas had accepted the books from Axel and Marluxia (and promised to return them on time, because apparently the library was up and running again in near enough to full capacity) and had spread them across his workspace, open to various pages that were, as near as he could tell, relevant.

He wasn’t sure why the subject had come up in his mind, and he’d be the first to admit it. Nevertheless, he was nothing if not the type of person to ride his curiosity through.

Reincarnation.

Hard to keep track of, really, and largely unconfirmed. Many of the journals were of the opinion that it was a myth, born of family names and dominant genes.

Ansem the Wise had taken that stance, too, Xemnas noted. He’d posited that if reincarnation truly existed, there should be no reason for anyone  _ not _ to be a reincarnation of someone else, and then the universe would do nothing but repeat on endless cycles of the same people, over and over and over without change.

“Is this truly what you occupy your time with?”

Xemnas whirled, summoning the beams from his hands and dropping into a combative stance as he faced the man with red bandages. He’d seen the man twice, both times before he’d met Sora, and Vexen had mentioned him shortly after returning from Castle Oblivion, but…

“Why are you here?” Xemnas asked, voice carefully controlled not to betray any sign of emotion. “Who are you?”

“I’m offended,  _ Xehanort _ , that you still fail to recognize me,” The man said.

Xemnas did not move.

The man sighed. “As for why I’m here, I’m here to warn you not to summon Kingdom Hearts.”

“I will do as I have chosen to do,” Xemnas said. “As I have intended to do for as long as I have memory.”

The man sighed. “You always were stubborn,” He said. “Still, I suppose if you intend to follow the grooves worn into our existence by realities that are not our own, I shall be forced to do so as well.”

Xemnas’ eyes narrowed. “And that means  _ what _ , exactly?”

“I will see you on the day that you fail,” The man said. “On the day that the hero strikes you down.”

Then the man disappeared.

“Well,” Xemnas said. “That was entirely unnecessary.”

The room around him answered in the rustles of paper and nothing more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Takes a bite of my macaroni* watch Nausicaa


	82. Remember How We Sidestepped This Whole Plotline

Riku sat on the roof of the castle at the Hollow Bastion.

None of the others were with him. Still, he wasn’t completely alone.

“What is your Nobody planning, Ansem?” He asked.

The specter of the seeker of darkness shook his head. “As if I’d tell you that, the way you are now.”

Riku laughed, a little. “If you’re not going to tell me now, you’re not going to tell me,” He said. “You can’t fool me, Ansem. You’ve been here long enough.”

The specter rushed him, phased through him, as he often did. Trying to get a rise out of him. Trying to get him to flinch. To use the powers he offered.

Riku felt the familiar pressure, the rising ache in his whole body, and did nothing. Said nothing.

“Stubborn fool,” Ansem said. “You know I’ll take control again eventually.”

“And then Sora will kick your ass again,” Riku said. “But he doesn’t need to worry about  _ you _ right now. Not on top of everything else going on.”

“Is that why you haven’t warned him?” The laughter was callous, almost cruel.  _ Almost _ . “You don’t wish to burden his heart with the warning that yours will someday be lost forever?”

“Fat chance,” Riku said.

“You keep saying that,” Ansem said.

Riku sat silently for a long time.

“Strike a nerve?” Ansem asked.

“You and your Nobody could not be more different from each other if you tried,” Riku said. “He… He’s playing at some sort of friendship with Sora, and I don’t trust it a bit. You, though?”

Riku turned, smirking.

“You’re here. In my heart, where I can feel your emotions like a second skin, and you’re trying to push me away.”

The specter vanished, then. Without fanfare. The pressuring ache faded, too, in that same instant.

Riku relaxed in his position. “Strike a nerve?” He teased.

~*~*~*~

Luxord found Demyx again in the shadow of a building in some bustling city. Demyx was petting a cat.

“Back again,” Demyx said. “Did something happen?”

“Saix questioned your absence,” Luxord said. “I told him what you told me, about what Xigbar said, and he seems to have accepted it. Still, I would wonder why he was unaware.”

“Xigbar’s probably trying to get rid of me,” Demyx said. “Half expect him to show up and kill me himself, honestly.”

“You’ve given up looking for Xion, haven’t you?” Luxord said.

“Don’t have anywhere to  _ look _ ,” Demyx said. “Unless I want to head back to the Hollow Bastion and bother that one guy who claimed to be psychic, anyways.”

“Are psychics real?” Luxord mused.

“I dunno,” Demyx said. “I mean… he knew my name, and I didn’t tell him, but…”

“Did you catch  _ his _ ?”

“Nope.” Demyx knuckled the cat under its chin. “Looked  _ kinda _ like Roxas’ Heartless does, but I  _ really _ don’t think it was him.”

“Neither Roxas nor his Heartless has shown any psychic capacities,” Luxord agreed.

“Yeah,” Demyx said. “Also, that guy walked.”

“ _ Oh _ ?”

~*~*~*~

Ventus lay flat on Roxas’ bed and stared up at the ceiling. For lack of any more productive ways to spend his time (Roxas’ heart was quiet, and he had trouble communicating with the other boy under their current arrangement without spending more energy than the other boy was sometimes willing to put in) he was trying to pinpoint the differences between Roxas’ body and his own.

(It was a little difficult; they were already similar, and when Ventus had managed to figure out that when he was awake, Roxas’ body seemed to even out between its natural shape and his own, to some degree, rather than shifting entirely.)

Still, Roxas’ teeth were a little bigger, Ventus was pretty sure. His hair and skin a little darker, his eyes a little greener. Dozens of minor differences, all easy to miss until you realized they were there.

He kind of wondered how much easier it would be to tell them apart once they no longer had to share.

He sat up, and tugged on the dark coat he was wearing. He was pretty sure he was the same size as Roxas. Was the coat so ill fitting on the other boy?

The door opened. Isa entered, and Ventus stiffened.

Isa sighed. “Okay, great,” He said. “You two need to  _ stop _ doing that.”

“Are you…” Ventus offered hesitantly. “Still mad?”

Isa looked at him, expression unreadable. “Always,” He said.

“Oh,” Ventus said, biting his lip.

Isa’s expression did not change. “Come with me,” He said.

Ventus shifted position, intending to move to the wheelchair, but he felt a complaint, buried in his chest underneath his own feelings, and stopped.

“Come on,” Isa said, and maybe he was holding back a shift in tone, but Ventus couldn’t think of why he would.

~*~*~*~

Xemnas looked up as Saix entered the room with… Ventus. Yes, that was Ventus. No wonder he hadn’t been able to find Roxas when looking for the sigil.

“You’re dismissed, Saix,” Xemnas said.

Saix left, Ventus looking after him curiously.

“Ventus,” Xemnas said.

Ventus turned back to him, quickly. “Hi,” He said, a little awkwardly.

“Hello,” Xemnas said. “Are you well?”

“Yeah,” Ventus said shakily. “Sure. Of course. Why?”

Xemnas was not convinced. Still, he figured that it would be better not to push the issue for the time. “It is polite to ask,” He said.

“Right,” Ventus said. “Okay. How are you?”

“I’m… alright,” Xemnas said, inwardly cursing himself for not expecting the question to be turned back onto him. “I was wondering if you could tell me more about the Land of Departure.”

“I…” Ventus shifted uneasily. “I dunno. I don’t…”

Xemnas blinked at him, curiously.

“Okay, look,” Ventus said. “I know Roxas listens to you, even if  _ he’s _ not sure he trusts you, but you are just too similar in a way I can’t really describe to someone who was a real piece of garbage to me to the point where I got amnesia and almost died, okay? Like, you’re a little similar to one of my friends, too, but I can’t shake the feeling that my heart’s gonna get ripped in two bits  _ again  _ and create someone  _ else  _ who resents me a whole awful lot. This is a super uncomfortable situation.”

“I’m… sorry,” Xemnas said. “That’s… I don’t really know what to say here, I don’t really have any life experiences to compare that to. It  _ sounds  _ awful.”

“It  _ was _ awful,” Ventus said. “And I wouldn’t expect anyone to have any comparable experiences. I remember precisely four years of happenings and I’m pretty sure absolutely none of them are standard life experiences.”

“That… is something I have a bit more experience with,” Xemnas said. “There are many things I have forgotten, as well.”

The two of them looked at each other.

“Is that what this is about?” Ventus asked. “Talking to me, I mean? You think you might have known me?”

“I…” Xemnas said. “It is very confusing. I am told I have changed a lot since I have forgotten.”

Ventus looked at him, long and hard. Finally, he spoke. “What do you know about the name ‘Xehanort’?”

Xemnas blinked. “I…” He said. “At one point, I thought that was my name, but I’m not so sure anymore. Why?”

  
Ventus took a breath through his teeth. “ _ Well… _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all: One time I saw this fic, and I started reading it (because I love fics) and it was set in an alternate version of approximately the Days/KH2 time period and then Ansem, Seeker of Darkness came out of nowhere like "mbleurgh! it's me!" and tried to leverage Rikus angst  
Ansem, Seeker of Darkness: *sitting in the corner like :|*
> 
> Technically the world that Demyx is in does not matter but I want you all to know that it's the human world from The Cat Returns
> 
> I write this scene where Ventus comments that he doesn't quite look like himself but I drew him for a scene later in the fic and I just used my regular color palette for him sooo. yeah
> 
> A few people now have told me to stay safe so I just wanted to say that to all of you as well!! Don't get sick!! Being sick always sucks but like especially rn


	83. Nostalgia And War Plans

“That’s not a lot of time,” Demyx said. “We should probably do whatever it is we’re going to do soon. My proposal is still the hitting plan.”

“We need a little bit more structure than throwing your new keyblade friend and Larxene’s keyblade Somebody at Xigbar,” Luxord said. “An actual plan, perhaps? It would suit us nicely, not to die.”

“Maybe that wizard guy would also be willing to hit Xigbar,” Demyx said. “He  _ hates _ Nobodies.”

“Demyx, we are  _ also _ Nobodies,” Luxord said. “I do  _ not  _ wish to see the wizard.”

“Alright, then, what would  _ you _ suggest?” Demyx crossed his arms. “I mean, keep in mind we’re dealing with Xigbar here. Dude’s  _ terrifying _ . He could probably kill us in one hit.”

“But first,” Luxord said. “He would have to hit us.” He summoned a dark corridor, and motioned for Demyx to follow him through it.

Demyx shrugged, and complied. “He’s awfully good at that, though.”

They emerged in the Hollow Bastion.

“Why here?” Demyx asked.

“I hear they have quite the library,” Luxord said. “There may be some books on Nobodies. If they do, it might be nice to know.”

“Luxord,” Demyx said. “I’m fucking illiterate.”

“You are not,” Luxord said. “I’ve seen you read.”

“Okay, well,” Demyx said. “These are academic texts. They’re going to be pretentious, and also boring as-- oh, shit.”

Demyx froze instead of fully rounding the corner, and Luxord stopped next to him. Across from them, Ienzo stiffened as well.

“Hello,” Ienzo said, awkwardly.

“Hi,” Demyx said, equally awkwardly.

“We’d like to check out some books,” Luxord said, sounding completely serene.

“Ah,” Ienzo said, sounding for all the world like a man who had just been handed a single, vague note card and told to give a twenty minute speach. “Well. Let’s, uh… see what we can do?”

“Sounds good,” Demyx said, voice tight and about two inches away from complete and utter panic.

~*~*~*~

“That’s… nuts,” Xemnas said.

“Yeah, so, uh…” Ventus rubbed the back of his head. “Can I… go?”

“Yes,” Xemnas said. “Go get something to eat. It’s good for you.”

Ventus looked at him, a little suspiciously, and rolled out of the room. “Alright,” he muttered, a little bit to himself, but mostly to Roxas. “Let’s get out of here.”

Roxas’ heart did not noticeably respond.

“Hey, I know it’s scary, but we  _ have _ to go,” Ventus said. “It’s not safe here, not really.”

A bit of concession, almost like an “okay, but…”

Ventus sighed. “We can look for Xion, while we’re out. And Vanitas, I guess.”

Interest.

“Yeah,” Ventus said. “Let’s go look for them. Let’s ditch this place.”

Roxas’ heart seemed to draw back, interest receding in place of fear. He’d already run away once, which was one more time than most people got away with. It was a bad idea to try again, he reasoned.

Ventus sighed. “I’m getting awfully sick of white.”

This did not prompt an answer.

~*~*~*~

“Demyx!” Aqua said brightly. “It’s been a while!”

“Aqua!” Demyx exclaimed.

Ienzo shifted uneasily, still not at all sure how to handle the situation.

Aqua and Demyx gave each other a quick handshake.

“Who’s this?” Aqua asked, gesturing to Luxord.

“This is Luxord,” Demyx said. “He’s on team ‘fuck up Xigbar’.”

Aqua nodded. “Nice to meet you,” She said.

“Likewise,” Luxord agreed.

They shook hands as well.

“Charming as this is,” Elrena said. “Why are y’all here?”

“We were going to check out the library,” Luxord said. “See if we could find anything of use for our upcoming coup.”

“What’s wrong with the ‘letting keyblade people in to beat up Xigbar’ plan?” Aqua asked. “It’s pretty solid, I think.”

“It’s still nice to be prepared,” Luxord said. “We could be surprised.”

“Also, the Luxu issue,” Elrena said.

“Oh, right,” Aqua said. “That. That’s an issue.”

“The  _ what _ ?” Luxord and Demyx said in unison.

“The Luxu issue,” Elrena said. “Apparently, Xigbar’s Luxu.”

Demyx looked at Luxord. Luxord looked at Demyx.

“Do we know who Luxu is?” Luxord asked.

“I mean, the name sounds familiar,” Demyx said. “I think my cousin knew him. I don’t think he ever introduced… us? Me and Luxu? My Somebody and Luxu?”

“Oh, yeah,” Elrena said. “Speaking of the foretellers, they time travelled forwards to now. I don’t know where they’re hanging out, but… I think at least most of them are throwing in with Xigbar.”

“Bro,” Demyx muttered, offended by this fact.

“Yeah,” Elrena said. “Xigbar,  _ again _ , being Luxu, because of reasons.”

“What the  _ fuck _ ,” Demyx said.

“I know, right?” Elrena shrugged, and walked over to the pile of food that was presently set up on a nearby table, scooping up a couple of oranges. She chucked one at Luxord, who caught it without comment. “So, really soon, we’re going into some sort of showdown. That’s great. That’s  _ perfect _ . A thousand years of memories, admittedly mostly  _ not _ mine, and finally something to  _ do _ .”

“You could die,” Demyx said. He wasn’t quite sure why he said it. “For real, this time. Forever.”

“She won’t.”

Demyx turned and looked at the woman who had appeared in the doorway.

“Litzi,” Elrena said. “Something happen?”

“Heard you all talking from down the hall.” She shrugged, and stuck out her hand, looking between Demyx and Luxord. “Hi, I’m Strelitzia.”

“Luxord,” Luxord said, shaking her hand.

“I’m Demyx,” Demyx said, feeling infinitely more awkward than Luxord seemed to be.

“Cool,” Strelitzia said. “Anyways, Elrena’s not going to die. If she was going to die in a keyblade war, she would have done it last time.”

“Exactly,” Elrena said. “I’m tough. I’ve survived worse than, what, five or six people trying to kill me?”

“You’ve also died to it,” Demyx said. “Or, Larxene did, anyways. Does that count? Are you and Larxene the same? Am I the same guy I was before I was Demyx?”

“That’s not important right now,” Aqua said. “You wanna get something to eat?”

“Yeah!” Demyx’s face lit up. “Now that you mention it, I can’t  _ remember  _ when I last ate!”

“Then let’s go!” Aqua said. “Come on, I’ll show you where the kitchen is. I think the last shopping trip came back with instant curry!”

“Oh, hell yeah!” Demyx said. “Let’s go!”

“Come on!” Aqua said. “Let’s all go!”

“I wouldn’t object,” Luxord allowed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demyx: *is having an existential crisis*  
Aqua: lets get some carbs in this guy
> 
> Aqua has the right idea. Carbs solve every problem
> 
> I'm in 2 online dnd campaigns now. I have a tiefling bard and a drow warlock and I would commit certain crimes for them.


	84. A Few Crises Of Faith

Gula took a few minutes to duck into another room. It wasn’t that he didn’t like his fellow foretellers-- hell, they were practically his family-- he just needed to get away from the war planning for a little while.

He summoned his keyblade, and looked at it thoughtfully. He’d been closest with Ava, when they were kids, and now he was set to stand against her again.

She and her son had had a point. None of the people who were going to get caught up in this deserved it.

“Something on your mind?”

Gula looked up, at the face that Luxu now wore. It was remarkably similar to his old one, if a little more used. “I…”

“Hey, you can talk to me,” Luxu said. “You know that.”

“Yeah,” Gula sighed. “I just-- I wish Ava were here.”

Luxu laughed, a little, and Gula tried for a moment to remember if that was something he would have done a thousand years ago. Luxu had always been a bit more jovial than the rest of them, but… “She made her choice, you know.”

“I know,” Gula said. “Still, I can wish she’d chosen differently.”

He could wish that  _ he _ had chosen differently, too, a traitorous part of his brain pointed out.

“Fair enough,” Luxu said, sitting down on one of the blank, white benches that were scattered throughout the castle. “It’d be nice, huh? To be all together again. Just like when we were kids.”

Gula half closed his eyes, letting his mind drift back all that time. “We never  _ did _ see the master’s face, huh?” He said.

“Not even then,” Luxu agreed. “Wouldn’t it be funny, if he were with us for this? Reborn, and ready to steer the timeline back on track.”

“It’d be nice to see him again,” Gula said, even if he wasn’t sure he believed it.

“Wouldn’t it?” Luxu agreed. Gula looked at him, and there was something in his eyes that belonged to the boy he’d once been. Something he’d managed to hold on to, even after all that time.

Gula knew what it was, although he’d never been able to put a name to it, not even when he’d felt it himself. It was the feeling of doing something right and turning to see if their master had noticed.

Was their master watching them, even now?

“Sorry,” Gula said. “Is there another bathroom I can use here? I just figured it’d be better if we weren’t all stuck with one.”

“Oh, yeah,” Luxu said, and things were once again as they had been since the lot of them had grown just a bit more. “Couple hallways down. There’s a potted plant on the bench near it.”

“Thanks,” Gula said, and managed a smile as he fled the room.

If the master  _ was _ watching now, he was sure to be disappointed, Gula knew as he rushed through the halls, leaving Luxu and the others behind.

Just a few minutes.

Just a few minutes, to talk to Ava. He just had to talk to his best friend, just for a few minutes.

That mantra repeated in his mind, as he summoned his keyblade and channeled the energy through it to place the call.

~*~*~*~

Ava summoned her keyblade very suddenly, prompting Sean and Igni to do so as well.

“Mother?” Brain asked, concern creeping into his voice. She hadn’t asked, just yet, but she was pretty sure his memories were overlapping more than was strictly good for his presence of mind.

Still, as long as he knew what was happening now, she couldn’t find it in her to complain that he called her that.

“Everything’s fine,” She said. “This place. It can’t be identified from in here, right?”

“We’ve been to a few worlds like this,” Astrid said. “Most of them had similar interior decorating choices.”

“Alright,” Ava said, and dropped her keyblade.

It didn’t  _ quite _ dispel; it dissipated, creating a misty screen in front of her, showing Gula. He looked like he’d been running.

“What’s this?” She asked, as neutrally as she could manage. She couldn’t dare hope he’d defected from their cohorts. She would only disappoint herself.

“I need to know,” He said. “How sure are you?”

“How sure of what?”

“How sure are you that you’re right?”

Their masks obscured their faces well; they’d been chosen for that purpose, and to look like that hadn’t been so much a wisp of a consideration. They couldn’t show weakness in front of the unions, the master said. Invi had once, as well, mentioned hoping to walk among her union as an equal at times, but the body of wielders had been too young for that to be possible for any of them. Even so, even so carefully chosen as the masks were to be unreadable, Ava could tell. Gula was once her best friend. Now, he felt scared, and tired, and alone.

She didn’t want him to feel alone.

“I…” She said. “I know what the master wanted, and I know I’m  _ not _ doing that, but-- Well, I just don’t think so many people need to fight. I don’t think so many people need to die.”

Gula didn’t seem satisfied with that answer.

Ava considered her options. Then, carefully, she removed her mask. It was a calculated gesture, they both knew. Let her appear at ease enough to be vulnerable. “We’re grown now,” She said. “We have been, for a while. I think that means we get to choose.”

Gula looked at her. For a moment, his hand went to his own face, and she tried not to breathe too shallowly.

Then his hand dropped, and his resolve stiffened. “We made a promise, Ava,” He said, mouth twisting into a frown. “We  _ swore _ . You can’t walk away from that and expect it to just work.”

“Gula--” She said, but the mist dissolved. The connection was broken.

She sighed.

“Does that count as closure?” Igni asked.

“Not yet,” Ava said. She considered putting her mask back on. It would be so easy, to fall back into the role of a foreteller that she’d once been so eager to play. But, no, that wasn’t right, was it? She set the mask down on the table and looked at the people around her. “It’s not closure until I prevent what’s written.”

She was going to have to fight the people she’d trained beside for so long one more time, no matter what else happened. Even if she could stop the war, they wouldn’t let it happen so easily.

“What’s the plan?” Brain asked her.

“I--” She began, and stopped, realizing the question behind the question. “I’m not going to make you do this with me,” She said. “Any of you. I’ve already made that mistake.”

“You’re not  _ making  _ me do anything,” Brain said. “I’m offering. You  _ can’t _ do this alone, and I’m not a kid this time!”

“The whole point of this is that I don’t want to drag people into getting hurt again,” Ava said.

For a moment, she thought he was going to yell. Instead, he bit his lip and released his breath slowly. “The first memory I got of you,” He said. “That I  _ really _ got of you, that you were  _ in _ . It was right before you went away.”

“Brain--”

“I know you’re trying to do what’s right,” Brain said. “And-- And, hell, maybe I  _ shouldn’t _ get involved, but… so much of my first life was defined by the moments you weren’t there, and I missed you.”

She looked at him for a long moment. Then, she sighed, smiling sadly. “Dirty pool,” She said.

“So, what  _ are _ we doing?” Igni said.

~*~*~*~

“It won’t be done in time,” Even sighed. “You’ll have to stay behind.”

“I don’t see the logic connecting those two statements,” Vanitas said.

“You intend to risk yourself  _ and _ Xion?” Even looked at him, not sure whether to be concerned or confused.

“Namine, Kairi, and I have been talking,” Vanitas said. “My heart probably stuck with Namine, right? Cut down on some of that Ventus influence. She only got the color palette. And then, she put my heart into Xion.”

“Not to interrupt your flow, but you were probably the  _ source _ of her Ventus influence,” Even said. “Still, I take it you’re going somewhere with this.”

Vanitas glared at him before continuing. “Namine and I agreed to stick together out there. If I take too much damage, she takes mine and Xion’s hearts and scrams.”

“Assuming she doesn’t take too much damage first,” Even said. “This is an incredibly flawed plan, Vanitas.”

“Well, we need as many hands on deck as we can manage, so you can’t stop me,” Vanitas said. “Xion agrees with me, and it was Namine’s idea.”

Even sighed. “I am  _ not _ talking you out of this, huh?”

“Nope,” Vanitas said. “Besides, the only  _ really _ important confrontations are the ones with Xigbar’s gang and Xemnas.”

  
“I just  _ love _ how that’s separate now,” Even muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alignment: DEFECTED  
Son: PRESENT  
Mask: OFF  
I am forcibly removing the keyblade war 2: electric boogaloo from this timeline


	85. Saix Isn't Paid Enough To Deal With This Band Of Hooligans (Part Eight): Marluxia Changes His Mind About Children Or At The Very Least One Child In Particular

Demyx yelped as a dark corridor appeared in the castle’s dining hall, and Saix stepped out.

“What’s this?” Saix asked, raising an eyebrow and looking around.

“Hi,” Aqua said. “I know our guy here has some work to be doing, but he does need to eat sometimes.”

Demyx glanced around. Where had Luxord gone…?

“What  _ was _ your assignment again?” Saix asked.

“Uh,” Demyx said. “Xigbar told me to look for Xion.”

Saix blinked at him. “We don’t have any leads,” He said. He seemed legitimately dumbfounded.

“Yeah, that was my reaction, too,” Demyx said. “But what was I supposed to do? He’s given out orders a couple of times, I couldn’t say  _ no _ .”

“When were you supposed to come back?” Saix asked.

“When I found her.” Demyx shrugged, and took another bite of curry. “I thought Luxord told you.”

Saix’s gaze slid across the group, pausing on Elrena.

“Yo,” Elrena said. “How’s your day been?”

“Could be better,” Saix said, plainly thrown so far off his script that the mere idea of having one was a distant dream.

“Yeah, that’s been a theme lately,” Elrena said. “We’ve got some extra curry.”

“Uh,” Saix said.

Oh, so Demyx was  _ dreaming _ . That made about as much sense as anything else.

Ten minutes and some convincing later found Saix eating curry with the rest of them, and Demyx wondering just how long it had been since the guy had had an actual, social conversation. Luxord had not resurfaced.

“We really  _ should _ be heading back,” Saix said to Demyx.

“Sheesh, you’re stiff,” Elrena said. “Like, for  _ real _ , even.” She put a finger on his forehead and pushed. He didn’t move, and she huffed. “Stiff.”

“I--” Saix said. “Demyx, why are you here? Why haven’t you been at the castle?”

“Xigbar told me to look for Xion,” Demyx said. “Said not to come back until I found her. Don’t have any leads, so I’m kicking around. Like I said. That’s… okay, right?”

Saix looked at him for a long moment. Then he sighed, slouching a little. “It’s not like I could expect anything else of you, under the circumstances. When we’re done eating, we should head back to the castle. Have you seen Luxord?”

“He’s been popping in and out,” Demyx said. “I don’t know how he keeps finding me, to be honest.”

“I see,” Saix said. “Well, he’ll be back eventually.”

Demyx wasn’t sure how to feel about Saix’s apparent shift in attitude. Maybe knowing about having a heart was getting to the guy. Instead of commenting on it, though, he took another bite of his curry. Even if Saix wasn’t acting as stiff as normal, he still didn’t want to keep the guy waiting.

~*~*~*~

Marluxia walked through the silent halls of Castle Oblivion, not bothering to glance behind him or obscure his path. If he was being followed, he was being followed, and if he wasn’t, then he wasn’t, and either way those preventative measures would be a waste of time and energy.

So, he walked on.

Soon, he arrived at the area Vexen had set up as a lab during their assignment there. The scientist had been very particular about people not entering, but Marluxia had an idea of what would be in there.

He opened the door, stepped inside, and looked around at the replica program.

It was… more unsettling, than he would have hoped or expected. Vats of strange liquid filled with mannequin-like bodies lined the walls of the room. There was a table, stacked high with small boxes of what Marluxia would turn into some sort of body-suit, if it came into contact with anything containing a heart.

There was a bed, covered in a sheet, with tubes of who knew what heading under it.

Hesitantly, Marluxia approached that bed, reaching out and pulling the sheet back, just a little. Then a little more.

He glanced to the table, but-- no, those wouldn’t do. They offered no  _ real _ protection. Quite the opposite, actually. He moved away from the table, beginning to search the room for something better.

He found a discarded coat, eventually. It was small, and old, but Marluxia recognized the cut of the sleeves and shoulders. It must have belonged to Zexion, once. It’d have to do.

He returned to the bed, took a deep breath, and began the careful, nerve-wracking process of removing tubes and IV lines from the replica who lay there, waiting to wake up. When that was done, he took the coat and put it on the unconscious body.

“You didn’t tell them about him, did you?” Marluxia muttered. “Or else you’d have come to get him already. Were you ashamed?”

He sat, and waited.

About an hour later, the replica-- the boy on the table stirred, sitting up and groaning.

“Oh, good,” Marluxia said. “This wasn’t a waste of time, there  _ is _ something in there.”

“Where am I?” The boy muttered. “Who are you?”

“This place is called Castle Oblivion,” Marluxia said. “Do you have any memories, or are you a vaguely defined sense of self with a heartbeat?”

“I…” The boy said. “Who am I?”

“Hm,” Marluxia said. “That’s the question, isn’t it?”

The boy looked at him, disappointed. “You are  _ no _ help,” He declared.

“Well, this isn’t exactly my area of expertise, either, kid,” Marluxia said. “Look, I’ve been here for a while, and I need to get back to work soon. When I can, I’ll take you somewhere a bit, you know. Better. Than this.”

He turned to leave, but was forced to stop as a pair of shaking hands grabbed his wrist. The boy was weak,  _ so weak _ , from having been lying there for so long. “I don’t want to be alone,” The boy said.

Marluxia looked down at him. He was small, so small, smaller than the boy he resembled by a good margin, at this point. Once, Marluxia knew, they had been the same size, but one had grown and one had withered away in a forgotten basement, and now Marluxia found himself staring at someone who was more a child than anyone had any right to be.

“Well,” Marluxia said, and he could feel every pretense he’d ever had shattering, all at once. “You’ll need a name.”

“You still haven’t told me yours,” The boy countered, and he was right.

“I…” Marluxia said. “My name is Marluxia.”

“Mm,” The boy said quietly, and Marluxia felt a head start to rest against his arm. “And what’s mine?”

“That’s… a good question,” Marluxia allowed.

The boy didn’t answer him. Hesitantly, Marluxia reached his unrestrained arm around and ruffled his hair, as he’d seen Axel do with Roxas and Xion on the occasion. The boy’s grip tightened, and his head pressed further into Marluxia’s arm.

“We  _ should _ be going soon,” Marluxia muttered. “I… Does the name Xircon work for you?”

A nod.

“Well, Xircon,” Marluxia said. “I suppose it’s time for you to meet everyone else.”

~*~*~*~

Saix and Demyx ended up arriving back at the Castle That Never Was at the same time as Marluxia.

“That’s a whole child,” Demyx commented.

“Yes,” Marluxia said. “I found him.”

“… Where?” Saix asked.

“Lab,” Marluxia said. “Where is Lord Xemnas?”

“If he’s not in any of his usual places, I have no idea,” Saix said. “If you can’t find  _ him _ , I’m sure  _ Axel _ won’t object to another child to look after.”

Demyx saw the boy’s hands tighten on Marluxia’s wrist. “So, what’s his name?” He asked.

“Xircon,” Marluxia said.

“Oh, that’s a cool one,” Demyx said.

Marluxia nodded, absently. “I… really should inform Lord Xemnas of this… development,” He said. “I’ll be around. Come on, Xircon.”

Marluxia and Xircon left the room.

“I’m going to speak with Xigbar,” Saix said. “You wait here.”

“Cool,” Demyx said. “If you’re confirming my story, you might want to ask Roxas, too. He was there.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Saix said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saix is... thrown by recent events. he's going through it
> 
> Xircon is here! Those of you who read the Chanukah special saw him already, but now you have context for him. He's Replica Riku! He's a lot different from canon bc circumstance but I hope you will love him as much as I do regardless
> 
> Coming up soon starts the final confrontation at the Castle That Never Was, and I feel like I should inform you that there's a bit of a tone shift with that. It's a little less funny (but there's still funny parts, I hope). I wanted to give this warning as, like, a professional courtesy. There is also some catharsis tho so maybe it balances out idk


	86. I Try And Fail To Apply Fun Character Dialogue To The Process Of Me Personally Creating A Chart

Xemnas was where he usually was, when he was around. Which was to say, staring up at Kingdom Hearts. He did not turn, as Marluxia and Xircon approached.

Marluxia coughed, a little.

“What do you want?” Xemnas asked, still not turning. There was an edge to his voice.

Xircon took a cautious step behind Marluxia.

“I’ve… found someone,” Marluxia said. “I was wondering if he could join the Organization.”

Now, Xemnas turned, and Marluxia felt the grip on his wrist tighten. He glanced down. Xircon didn’t look  _ scared _ , more… possessive. Suspicious, maybe.

“What is his name?” Xemnas asked.

“Xircon, sir,” Marluxia said.

There was a long, tense pause.

“He may stay,” Xemnas said, turning back towards the odd moon in the sky. “I will not be assigning him a number, yet. There are precedents I must as yet set.”

“Yes, sir,” Marluxia said.

When no response came, he turned again, and led Xircon away.

~*~*~*~

“So,” Ienzo said. “We have good news, and we have…  _ interesting _ news.”

“Is the interesting news going to be preceded by ten to fifteen minutes of rambling that none of the rest of us are going to understand?” Vanitas asked, looking up from where he and Sora were attempting to play some sort of two-person baseball using fireballs and keyblades.

Everyone else on the terrace that Kairi had herded everyone out to for the announcements turned to look at them. Sora, at least, had the decency to look embarrassed.

“No,” Ienzo protested.

“We’ll try and limit it to one and a half,” Kairi joked.

“Yeah, that sounds about like the best we’ll get,” Elrena said.

“So, let’s start with the good news, right?” Ephemer said. “And fast?”

“You’ve been reading all week,” Dawn said. “You can take a break to deal with this.”

“Already am,” Ephemer pointed out.

“ _ Anyways _ ,” Even said, cutting in before the conversation veered  _ too _ far off course. “The good news! Despite the difficulties it has with intentionally navigating to places that don’t exist, we’ve managed to get the gummyship’s navigation system to be able to route to the World That Never Was. We had to add an extra type of coordinate, but we did it.”

“I don’t understand the issue with it,” Sora said. “It goes to Twilight Town just fine.”

“It’s  _ been _ to Twilight Town,” Even said. “And I’d wager good munny you weren’t pointed towards much of anywhere the first time you arrived.”

Sora didn’t argue that.

“The interesting news, now,” Kairi said. “Places that don’t exist are attached to places that do. The World That Never Was isn’t a  _ proper _ world, just a pocket of a world that merged improperly with another one. This one, actually.”

“Hello??” Strelitzia blurted out. “What???”

“Logistically speaking, of course, it’s  _ ages _ away,” Ienzo said. “We’ll probably have to loop around a few other worlds to get to it, perhaps close a few routes and open a few others, but…”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Sora asked. “Let’s go!”

“The gummyship can only hold three of us,” Donald said.

“Mm,” Kairi said. “Seven, if we’re friendly. But that’s still not everyone.”

“If we had the time, I’d suggest we acquire another one, somehow,” Even said. “However, according to Luxord, we  _ don’t _ .”

“Why are we trusting Luxord, again?” Vanitas asked.

“Because he’s on a traitor squad with my Nobody’s ex boyfriend, apparently, and has been actively keeping him alive,” Ephemer said.

“Yeah, that,” Elrena said. “Luxord may have a good bluff, but Demyx  _ doesn’t _ , Axel’s is mediocre, and  _ I _ can read Marluxia like a book. He’s got the same tells as Lauri.”

“Good to know,” Strelitzia said.

“So, who’s going?” Aqua asked. “To the final battle, who’s going?”

“I can dark corridor there,” Vanitas said. “Kairi’s heart is pure light, so she could  _ probably _ come with me just fine. That means we can go with five to nine people, rather than three to seven.”

Everyone took a moment to silently count how many people were there.

“That’s still not enough,” Aqua said.

“I’m  _ not _ staying behind,” Sora said.

“Oh, no, absolutely not,” Ienzo agreed. “You’ve had pretty much the most active ‘hitting things’ role in every event since you got involved in this mess.”

“I’m not staying, either,” Riku said.

“Or me,” Namine said.

“Donald and I are the only ones who can drive the gummyship,” Mickey said. “So one of us  _ has _ to come.”

“I’ll stay with the king, if that’s alright,” Goofy said.

“I  _ would _ like to go,” Mickey said. “What’d’ya say, Donald?”

“I…  _ can _ stay,” Donald allowed.

Ephemer, Strelitzia, and Elrena shared a look the rest of them couldn’t read.

“I’ll be staying as well,” Ienzo said. “I’m not a fighter, and I think I can be more useful here.”

“And myself,” Even said. “For… similar reasons, really.”

They kept talking for a while, until they had finalized their decisions.

Vanitas and Kairi would be taking a dark corridor. They would be leaving after the gummyship, but would probably still arrive before it.

On the gummyship itself would be Sora, Namine, Riku, Mickey, Goofy, and Aeleus, who was big enough he counted as two people in terms of space calculation. Ienzo and Even would program their coordinates, and they’d arrive, well, whenever they did, which was hard to gage but would probably take a bit longer than they would have liked.

Staying behind with Even and Ienzo was a larger group of people than they would have preferred. Aqua, who had put up a token protest before admitting she was worried someone working with Luxu might try to kidnap Ventus’ unconscious body while she was gone, was the first to be confirmed to stay behind, before they’d agreed Aeleus would go. Ephemer, Dawn, Strelitzia, Dilan, Elrena, and Donald were unfortunately left without space on the gummyship, as well.

“I don’t  _ like _ leaving so many people here,” Kairi said.

“Travelling through the dark corridors without protection isn’t for the average heart,” Vanitas said. “Statistically, it’s a shocker that more than one person here can.”

“Yeah,” Namine said. “Riku and I had one dark coat between us for a while, until our first visit to Yen Sid? It… wasn’t a fun experience, for whoever  _ wasn’t _ wearing it.”

Riku nodded. “I have  _ nightmares _ about those nightmares,” He admitted.

“So,” Elrena said. “When is this happening? Tomorrow, or…?”

“Well, it’s about five days until Kingdom Hearts is complete, give or take, according to our information,” Even said. “Tomorrow, I’d say we prepare.”

Ienzo nodded. “The raid party can head out the day after that,” He agreed.

“And then we’ll have a nice big party when everyone comes back alive,” Strelitzia finished. “I like this plan.”

~*~*~*~

Marluxia wasn’t sure if he was pleased or upset, when he encountered Roxas on the way to pick out a room for Xircon. On one hand, he and Roxas didn’t have the best working relationship, but the other? Kids needed kids. It was good to introduce them.

Roxas barely acknowledged Marluxia at all, though, which was a  _ little _ annoying.

“What’s your name?” Roxas asked, peering around Marluxia to look at Xircon.

Whether by some ingrained recognition of an aspect of Sora, implanted in him by the vague memories that had provided his original form, or by an instinct that came naturally to many children, Xircon released Marluxia’s wrist and approached Roxas. “I’m Xircon,” He said.

“I’m Roxas,” Roxas said.

The two shook hands.

“You wanna see something cool?” Roxas asked.

Xircon glanced at Marluxia, and nodded.

“Come on!” Roxas said, and turned, wheeling off down the hallway.

Xircon glanced at Marluxia again.

“Oh, go ahead,” Marluxia said. “We can pick your room out later.”

It wasn’t like it was likely to spend too long in use, he thought to himself as Xircon rushed after Roxas. Kingdom Hearts was rapidly approaching, after all, and Marluxia knew that whatever else was going to happen was going to have to happen then at the  _ latest _ .

Still, though.

  
Marluxia hadn’t realized that he’d missed hearing children  _ laugh _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I desperately assembled this chart in the notes app of my phone before heading into the next section, and yes, I /did/ include "Ventus' unconscious body".


	87. Vanitas Gets Held For The First Time And Saix Has Jury Duty

Gula looked up from pulling pizza out of the provided oven when Roxas arrived, leading another child behind him.

All the foretellers gasped in delight.

“Another child,” Ira whispered.

“These people are… dressed different,” The new boy said.

“Yeah,” Roxas said. “Xigbar said I’m not allowed to talk about them with anyone else.”

“Mm.”

A few introductions later, everyone was settled on chairs and couches with slices of pizza.

“Five days, huh?” Invi said.

“Give or take,” Aced agreed. “Whatever Ava’s planning, I doubt she’ll have time to put it into motion.”

“Who’s Ava?” Xircon asked.

“She’s a traitor,” Ira said. “She’s trying to undo everything  _ we’ve _ worked for.”

“Oh?” Roxas said. “Why?”

“She believes she knows better than our master,” Gula said. “He saw the future, and she intends to change it.”

“We, on the other hand, are working to preserve it,” Invi said.

“Okay, maybe I’m missing something,” Xircon said. “But, uh… if you  _ need _ to work to preserve it, that means it’s not for sure, right?”

“Oh, yeah!” Roxas said. “If it’s so sure, it’ll happen!”

“If it doesn’t, the timeline will die,” Aced said. “The strain of the paradox will cause our universe to collapse on itself.”

“The universe is already under a lot of strain, as it is,” Ira agreed. “Everything’s happening too close together.”

“That doesn’t make sense to me,” Xircon decided. “Let’s just forget I asked, okay?”

“Can I get some more pizza?” Invi asked.

“Of course,” Gula said. “It’s pizza time. Why would you even need to ask?”

~*~*~*~

Yen Sid stood at the edge of a large, perfectly circular pool, and cast a spell.

All at once, the pool lit up with specks of light, brilliant and dazzling and access points to the magic that the water had been imbued with.

He summoned a glowing platform of magic, and stepped onto it, sliding out over the surface of the water without changing his expression. When he reached the middle, he stopped, and pulled up one of the points near, but not at, the center. It was glowing brighter than the others, and he knew that if they were to have any visitors in the near future, the guest would be from that point.

“What to do with you, Xehanort?” He muttered. He’d looked at many timelines, and so many of them were paired off that way. One timeline collects the technical past of another, until its usefulness is spent in the eyes of whatever mastermind should be involved.

There was a chance, of course, that the young man had already been collected, but Yen Sid was relatively sure that that was not the case.

Or, at the very least, he could hope.

He could put a barrier around one of the timelines; he was strong enough, after all, but that was a sledgehammer solution, and sledgehammers were rarely enough the best tool for the job that he was hesitant to do so.

He could go to the other timeline himself, and preemptively cut off the situation in some way. Explain the rules, perhaps, or maybe kill Xehanort’s alternate self before he had the chance to involve himself.

There were other issues, concerning visitors, as well, including at least two more timelines in their own rights, but if it couldn’t be gotten away with the first time there was a chance it wouldn’t be tried again.

The water shook, and Yen Sid banished the spell he was using, hurrying back to shore. There were other threats, in existence, that could not be faced directly, and he had invoked one of them in his guidance of the children. He kept rushing, back to his tower, which was warded against so, so much.

~*~*~*~

Aqua moved Ventus’ body to a more out of the way portion of the castle, and sighed.

“So, is the duck going to sit up here while you all guard the castle, too?” Vanitas asked.

She whirled, drawing her keyblade.

Vanitas didn’t flinch, but a flood scooted out of his shadow and off into the castle.

“Look,” Aqua said. “I  _ don’t _ trust you, okay? I know what you are. I don’t know  _ why _ so many of these people are just-- just  _ accepting _ your presence here, but I’m  _ not _ .”

“Is it so much to believe that a decade in Sora’s heart and a few months of therapy have helped me out a little?” Vanitas asked. “You don’t  _ have _ to like me, or forgive me, or any of that, but is it so much to think I might be doing better?”

“Yes,” Aqua said, and her stance shifted. More hostile.

Vanitas looked at her, and at the keyblade she was pointing at him. “Go ahead,” He said. “Hit me, then.”

Aqua glared at him. “This is a trap,” She said. “I make the first move, and you go and--”

“No,” Vanitas said. “You obviously need the stress relief. Hitting something will help. Might as well be me.”

Aqua hesitated.

Vanitas’ expression didn’t change. “Or don’t. Whatever.”

Finally, Aqua lowered her keyblade and shifted back into a regular standing position. “I can’t,” She sighed. “Even after everything you’ve done, you’re still just a kid, I-- I  _ can’t _ just…”

Vanitas shrugged. “Since when has that mattered? I’ve been thrown into fights since I was made. Roxas and Xion, too. And Sora, Kairi, and Riku have been dealing with bullshit like that, too, for a whole while now. Were you and Terra any different?”

Aqua looked at him for a long, hard moment. “We’re all pretty fucked up, huh?” She said finally.

“Yeah,” Vanitas said. “Probably.”

A couple more floods slid away across the floor.

Aqua looked between Ventus and Vanitas. “I…” She said, starting to shake. “I miss Ven. I miss Terra. I miss-- I miss--”

Several more Unversed appeared from Vanitas’ shadow as his eyes widened, just a little. Not floods. Bigger ones. Had Aqua known the boy better, she might have been able to use that to identify the shift in his mood, but she didn’t, and she couldn’t.

Aqua bit back a sob, and the Unversed turned back into floods, and Vanitas was crying, too, and she didn’t know why, and she didn’t know why the two of them fell into each others’ arms and cried.

~*~*~*~

Invi had been quiet for fifteen minutes. This was notable, Roxas felt, because none of these people had shut up since he’d met them. Xircon was noticing, too, or at the very least he was noticing that Roxas was noticing, and he kept stealing glances at the masked woman, even as he paid attention to what the rest of them were saying, a feat Roxas had  _ not _ yet mastered.

Still, the two of them stiffened in surprise when she very suddenly stood up and went to the door, opening it and calling out into the hallway. “Hey, do you want some pizza or something?”

“Fuck!” Roxas heard Saix yell. Saix had never swore in front of Roxas before, and if Roxas wanted to get pedantic about it he supposed that this didn’t technically count as Saix swearing in front of him  _ now _ . Saix was in the hallway. Roxas could not, technically, see him.

“Is that a no?” Invi asked. She turned, looking back into the room. “Gula, we’ve got more pizza, right?”

“We’ve  _ always _ got more pizza,” Gula said, very seriously. “Convince this person of pizza time.”

Invi turned back to the hallway and, presumably, Saix. “We’ve got too much pizza. Really, you’d be doing us a favor.”

“I already ate,” Saix said stiffly.

Invi moved into the hallway. A few seconds later, she returned, pushing Saix before her. “Well, then,” She said. “Help us convict Gula of pizza crimes.”

“Hi,” Roxas said, before taking a bite of his own pizza so he didn’t have to continue the conversation.

“What is going on?” Saix asked, voice slow and deliberate but not nearly as angry as Roxas had expected.

Ira summoned his keyblade, before making it change shape into some sort of small mallet and banging it against the table. “Settle in,” He said. “Pizza court is in session.”

“Why am I now involved in this?” Saix asked.

“You’ve been summoned for the pizza jury,” Aced said.

“I don’t-- Juries are supposed to be comprised of the peers of the defendant,” Saix said. “In what way am I a peer of… which of you is being tried for pizza crimes?”

Everyone pointed at Gula.

“How am I your peer?” Saix asked Gula.

Gula considered that. “Hello,” He said finally. “My name is Gula. What is yours?”

Saix gave him a dubious look.

“This is Saix,” Roxas said.

“Now that you have been introduced,” Invi said. “Saix, sit down, you’re on the pizza jury.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Axel, looking up from dusting: I feel an overwhelming amount on unease for ill defined reasons
> 
> People who are reading this in order, reading Yen Sid in this chapter: Can I get an explanation?? Can I PLEASE get an explanation???  
People who read everything in this series as it comes out: oh neat
> 
> Me @ Nomura: Vanitas recovery arc WHEN
> 
> Saix: I don't believe that man's ever been to law school.
> 
> Is "genre fiction" a common term used to refer to scifi/fantasy works? because those are more setting descriptors than plot/tone ones and I'm like 90% sure genre is plot/tone.


	88. Why Are So Many Of These People Specifically Designed To Murder

The gummyship was packed tightly, when they got everyone into it.

“Alright,” Ienzo said. “The coordinates are in. You’re free to go whenever you’re ready.”

“If the ship gives you any extra instructions, do  _ try _ to follow them,” Even added. “Opening routes to places like the Castle That Never Was is difficult, but the computer  _ should _ know what to do.”

“How do you make it do that?” Sora asked.

“Save the explanation until we get back,” Aeleus said. “Heart collection might have kicked into overdrive for all we know. We don’t know how much time we have to stop this.”

Even and Ienzo nodded in haunting unison, and the gummyship closed and flew off. Most of the assembled people wandered off to whatever they were intending on doing to keep their minds off of things.

“Are you sure you can’t take more people?” Kairi asked Vanitas.

“The only coat we have around is the one on Ven,” Vanitas said. “Everyone else left is either twice his height or duck shaped.”

Kairi paused, considering that. “Aren’t Riku’s and Namine’s outfits warded against the darkness?” She asked.

Vanitas shrugged. “If they are, they probably remembered it,” He decided. “I think Riku  _ wanted _ to stick with Sora, anyhow. It’s probably a good idea, honestly. I don’t think there’s anything the two of them  _ can’t _ beat to a pulp, especially together.”

“Why wouldn’t Namine bring it up, though?” Kairi pointed out.

“How am I supposed to know that?” Vanitas snapped. “We’re not attached at the heart.”

“Eh, fair enough,” Kairi said. “I’m thinking we wait about half an hour, and then we go. Thoughts?”

“It’s as good a time as any other,” Vanitas allowed.

~*~*~*~

Saix wasn’t sure who most of these people were, or why they were there. What he did know was that the pizza trial had been going on for hours, and most of the people there didn’t seem to mind.

The boy Xircon, who Marluxia had found and who wore a coat but had not been formally introduced to the Organization as a whole, had fallen asleep at some point. The other strangers had cycled through naps, sure, but Xircon was out like a light, and had been for a few rotations, snoring softly into Saix’s shoulder.

Saix didn’t feel particularly tired. He was more concerned, really.

His train of thought was interrupted when Invi, who he had suspected of being next in line to nap, suddenly snapped back to attention. “New juror,” She said, without standing.

“Perhaps someone who will acquit me of these false accusations,” Gula said solemnly.

“I’m willing to acquit you if it means I can get back to work,” Saix offered.

“Not all of the evidence has been presented yet,” Ira said. “We aren’t calling the jury to vote.”

“I have forms I need to fill out,” Saix said.

The door opened, and Xigbar appeared. He looked around the room, and sighed. “Roxas, do you recall the conversation we had about this when you first wandered in here?”

“I didn’t  _ tell _ anyone,” Roxas protested.

“Luxu, sit down, we’re trying Gula for pizza crimes,” Invi said.

“‘Luxu’?” Saix raised an eyebrow.

Xigbar took in the setting more seriously. “Honestly,” He said, rolling his eyes. “You’re holding a trial, and the defendant doesn’t even have a lawyer.”

“He  _ did _ ,” Invi said. “It’s just Aced’s turn to take a nap.”

Xigbar shrugged. “Fair enough,” He allowed, sitting down next to Roxas. “Can we summarize the evidence?”

“What time is it?” Saix asked. “How long have we been down here? Xigbar, we are on a schedule--”

“I’ve got notes,” Ira said.

The notes were passed to Xigbar, who began to look through them. Invi began to drift away again, and for a moment Saix hoped that they were about to call a recess so he and Roxas could do their jobs.

“You’ve got guests,” Invi said.

“What?” Xigbar looked up from the court record.

“Two or three of them. Fifth floor of the seventh tower.”

“What?” Roxas, Xigbar, and Saix spoke in unison. Xircon groaned, shaken awake by their surprise.

“Is there something important there?” Ira asked.

Xigbar looked at Roxas. Roxas looked at Saix. Saix looked at Invi.

“Can you tell what they’re doing?” He asked. “Anything about them?”

“One is pure light,” She said. “The other two are too close together to tell. Like Roxas’.”

Saix turned to Roxas, who was still looking at him. “I don’t suppose  _ you _ know anything about this,” He said.

Xigbar picked Roxas up by the back of his coat, causing him to squeak indignantly, and set the boy in his wheelchair. “Come on, Tiger,” He said. “You, too, Saix. We’re heading this off.”

“ _ Fine _ ,” Ira said. “Pizza court can take a recess.”

~*~*~*~

“This looks like someone’s room,” Kairi said, looking around as she and Vanitas stepped out of the corridor.

“It was Xion’s,” He said. “It’s pretty close to some high traffic areas, but people shouldn’t come in here much anymore.”

“Which is why it’s totally dusted, huh?” Kairi teased.

“Shit,” Vanitas said.

“We should go somewhere else, then?” She asked.

“Maybe,” Vanitas allowed.

Right then, the door opened. Axel was standing there with a feather duster.

He blinked.

Kairi and Vanitas blinked back.

“You know what?” Axel decided. “I think I’m gonna go practice, instead of doing things in here.”

“Uh, no,” Vanitas said. “I’m coming out into that hallway and we’re going to duke it out.”

Kairi pinched the bridge of her nose. “Vanitas, we had a  _ plan _ .”

“Yeah,” Vanitas said. “But, see, the plan relied on us not getting spotted until we intended to be, and it looks like  _ that _ went out the fucking window.”

Axel started to back away. Unfortunately for him, Vanitas lunged.

The flurry of dancing flames, Axel was called. It was a nickname he’d earned, all edges and burns and movement, when it came to a serious confrontation. He was an assassin, first and foremost. He was built to kill.

Vanitas was  _ also  _ built to kill.

Kairi wasn’t sure who to bet on, and the hallway was small enough that she didn’t really think it was a good idea to get involved. Instead, she waited in Xion’s room for them to be done. She sat down on Xion’s bed.

“They really  _ don’t _ have mattresses,” She commented to no one in particular.

Eventually, Vanitas was launched into the wall, grunting on impact.

“I hate fighting kids,” Axel sighed, and turned to leave.

“Yeah, uh,” Kairi said. “That’s my fucking brother, so, uh… fuck you.”

“He started it,” Axel said.

Kairi summoned her own keyblade.

Axel sighed.

Kairi threw a cure spell behind her at Vanitas as she took up his place in the fight, her keyblade clashing with Axel’s chakrams.

After a few long minutes, she was standing over him, keyblade pointed down at his chest. They were both breathing heavily.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Axel said.

“Neither did you,” She pointed out. “Not just today. None of this.”

Axel considered that. “I’ve enjoyed being alive,” He said, finally. “Not proud of everything, yeah. But still. Living’s nice. Knowing my friends, that’s been nice.”

Kairi hesitated, taking a step back, and for a moment Axel thought he was going to be able to get up again. Get up, leave, get far away from this whole thing.

Vanitas’ keyblade slammed into his chest, knocking the air out of him.

“That was unnecessary,” Kairi said as Axel’s body began to distort and disappear around the edges.

“I mean,” Vanitas said. “Now we don’t have to keep looking over our shoulders for a literal assassin, so… was it?”

“Yes.”

Axel’s eyes widened, just before they disappeared entirely.

Of all the small mercies the world may or may not have been able to grant, he’d hoped that Roxas at least wouldn’t have had to see him die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's /technically/ Wednesday, and I'm hyped enough that I can't wait to post this chapter (and will probably sleep until noon or so tomorrow)
> 
> Anyways guess what I did!! I started writing this fic in June and started posting it in Augum  
st and now I've got the last chapter written!! I knew it was around somewhere. Now it's in the prime material plane. Theoretically. Does my google drive count as the prime material plane?
> 
> AND I'm just in time to celebrate the start of the confrontation at The Castle That Never Was. Exciting! And also sad, a bit. Because this section has, uhh. Yeah.
> 
> Axel: you didn’t have to kill me I was literally on your side???  
Vanitas: I got trust issues  
Axel: I thought you were in therapy for that  
Vanitas: that’s not an instant fix tho
> 
> I noticed (renoticed? did I know it was there before?) the "Reorder Series" Button and I'm seriously debating reordering the series. I'll figure out a proper "suggested" reading order later ig. Once I start posting Larxene's Therapy Diary. Oh yeah! That's gonna be a thing. It's organized different than most of my other writing so it's a challenge (and a bit slow going) but it's coming. Eventually.
> 
> I'm just rambling at this point. "At this point" I say, as if me rambling hasn't been this /entire/ author's note. I should go


	89. Xigbar's Theory Of Relative Gravity

“You  _ killed _ him!” Roxas said, and there were a lot of emotions in his voice, but most of them could be boiled down to one word; hurt.

“Kairi,” Vanitas said. “Did we bring the--”

“You said we wouldn’t  _ need _ it,” Kairi said.

“I did say that,” Vanitas agreed. “But I also know you. Did you bring it?”

“Does it look like I brought it?” Kairi pointed out. “I figured I might need my hands, considering.”

“Yeah, fair enough,” Vanitas said. “There goes Plan A for negotiations.”

Roxas rolled forward, one motion giving him all the momentum he needed to reach Vanitas, leaving his hands free on the approach to summon his keyblades. Vanitas was able to block, but it was a close thing. He’d never fought someone with two keyblades before, and he wasn’t quite sure how. He’d underestimated the other boy’s maneuverability.

And now he was fighting Roxas. Lovely.

“What’s Plan B?” Kairi asked, dragging Vanitas out of the way of a strike and leading him in a dash down the hallway. “Actually, what was Plan A?”

“Plan A was  _ her _ ,” Vanitas said. “I think he’s forgotten we’re sharing.”

“He  _ knows _ ?” Kairi asked.

Vanitas nodded.

“Okay, I’ve got a Plan B,” Kairi said.

“Oh?”

She told him.

“That… might work.”

~*~*~*~

“Are we there yet?” Sora asked.

“No,” Aeleus said.

Sora sighed. They’d been in the gummyship for a while. Vanitas and Kairi were probably already in trouble.

“How about now?” Namine asked.

“Still no,” Aeleus said.

The gummyship floated through space serenely, as though its occupants weren’t on their way to kick some ass.

“Are we sure the coordinates are in correctly?” Goofy asked.

“Well, Ienzo  _ did _ say they had to add another type,” Mickey said. “Maybe we should have asked him what that was.”

“Well, it’s too late now,” Aeleus said. “We just have to wait and see.”

The six of them sat around, there, for a while longer, as the gummyship maintained its steady pace.

“Are we there yet?” Riku asked.

“ _ No _ ,” Aeleus said.

“Oh, yeah?” Namine pointed out the window. “What’s that, then?”

Everyone followed where she was pointing. The Castle That Never Was was there.

“We’re going in,” Mickey said.

~*~*~*~

“Lea,” Ienzo said. “Lea, wake up.”

“Damnit,” Lea groaned. “What the fuck?”

“Eloquent as ever,” Even said flatly. “I guess this means it’s begun.”

“Guess it does,” Lea said. “So, the Organization’s ending, huh? Is Roxas going to be okay?”

“Well, I sure  _ hope _ so,” Ienzo said.

“Sora and Aqua would probably never forgive anyone if they got him killed,” Even muttered.

“Aqua?” Lea asked. “Who’s… Aqua?”

“Would you like to meet her?” Ienzo asked. “She’s with Ventus now. Ephemer and Elrena might be there as well.”

~*~*~*~

Vanitas summoned a small group of turtletoads. Most of them were to block the hallway, but the last one knelt, allowing him to climb on top of it.

“How quick is your explanation, again?” He asked.

“Should be, hm, five seconds?” Kairi offered.

One of the turtletoads poofed.

“Vanitas, now,” Kairi said.

“Right, right,” Vanitas said, and slumped.

Kairi had never actually  _ watched  _ him and Xion switch out before. It was… strange. The air around them blurred, becoming unknowable, in a soft sort of way. And when that settled, Xion was there. She groaned, sitting up.

“Xion,” Kairi said. “We’re here to kick the Organization’s collective ass. Roxas is very mad at Vanitas, and also possibly me.”

“What did you--  _ Kairi _ ,” Xion sighed. “He’s our  _ friend _ .”

“It wasn’t  _ my _ idea,” Kairi said.

The last turtletoad before the one Xion was sitting on vanished, revealing Roxas once again.

“You-- Xion?” Roxas blinked, rage melting away into surprise, confusion, and confliction.

“Hey,” Xion said. “Been a bit.”

Roxas was about to respond when another voice cut in. “There you are, Poppet. I’ve been wondering where you ran off to.”

Roxas, Xion, and Kairi turned to Xigbar. He was standing in front of Saix and a boy Kairi hadn’t met that looked suspiciously similar to Riku, hands on his hips and a sort of tired, amused expression on his face.

“Ah,” Xion said. “I’m gonna say a swear word now.”

“Oh, come now,” Xigbar said. “There’s no need for that. Let’s sit down, end this peacefully.”

“Xigbar, if you put me back on the pizza jury--” Saix began.

Xigbar snapped his fingers, and everyone collapsed, the weight of gravity suddenly intensifying. Xigbar, for his part, didn’t seem to notice. Kairi wasn’t sure if he had kept his gravity normal, or if he was accustomed enough to high gravity environments that it didn’t matter.

Not that the mechanics of it mattered, that much, as he strolled casually to them, plucking Roxas out of his chair and Xion off the turtletoad.

A man Kairi hadn’t seen, who couldn’t have been part of the Organization rounded the corner. “Luxu?” He asked.

“Hey, don’t worry about it, Ira,” Xigbar said. “They’ll be up in a minute.”

“Oh, it’s not that,” Ira said. “Gula was just wondering how long this whole thing was going to take, so he could plan dinner around it.”

“Dinner might be late,” Xigbar said. “Here, pick up Xircon and Saix, won’t you? I’ve got to-- hey!”

Xion had summoned her keyblade, and was managing to lift her arms up high enough to hit Xigbar in the stomach with it, repeatedly.

“Tell you what,” Ira said. “You go do whatever it is you need to do, and I’ll take care of things here.”

Xigbar shrugged. “Works for me.”

~*~*~*~

Ephemer, Dawn, Strelitzia, and Elrena were in an out of the way room of the castle at the Radiant Garden.

“We ready?” Elrena asked, shrugging on her coat.

“As we’ll ever be,” Ephemer said, adjusting the collar on his own. “Think we’ve given it enough time?”

“More than enough,” Dawn said, toying with the clasps that composed her false zipper. “We’ll probably arrive just in time for  _ something _ .”

“Oh, that was a given anyways,” Strelitzia said, putting her hood up. “This whole thing is a narrative. I got fridged, you know.”

“I’ve been trying not to think about that,” Elrena said. “Let’s go.”

She opened a corridor, and waved everyone through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roxas: bitch  
Vanitas: *blocks him with turtletoads*  
Roxas: wait unblock me I need to tell you something  
Vanitas: ?  
Roxas: BITCH
> 
> Also YES I decided the zippers were fake. I didn't realize they canonically had two zipper pulls and it's easier to only draw one anyways


	90. #OrgXIIIForSmashBrosUltimate2020

Xion was smacking Xigbar in the stomach repeatedly with her keyblade. He was noticeably bothered, but he didn’t seem inclined to put her down.

Roxas, under his other arm, seemed to have accepted the situation, although he wasn’t happy about it by any means either. He was sulking, arms pinned against his sides as Xigbar walked.

They rounded a corner, and came across four people. Three of them, Xion didn’t know, but the fourth was somehow Larxene, probably.

Vanitas’ heart began kicking up a fuss, that these people shouldn’t be here.

“Well,” Xigbar said. “Isn’t this a surprise.”

“The feeling isn’t mutual,” The strange man said.

“Hm, pity,” Xigbar said, and Xion gasped, feeling the weight of increased gravity return. Nearby, she heard Roxas cough. “I think you ought to stand down, let me on my way, and all. All this gravity; it’s not good for the kids, you know?”

“You  _ bastard _ ,” The woman who Xion was less and less sure was Larxene growled. One of the other women, a redhead, put her hand on Not-Larxene’s arm.

“Hm,” Xigbar said. “The more things change, the more they stay the same, huh?”

“You know,” The fourth person said. “People always  _ say _ that.”

“ _ Dawn _ ,” The man said.

“ _ Ephemer _ ,” She shot back.

The red haired woman sighed and rolled her eyes. “Can we, perchance, deal with the active problem that is happening at this moment?” She asked.

The pressure rose behind Xion’s eyes, and at first she didn’t identify it for what it was. It was perfectly reasonable, after all, to believe that the gravity was making her head hurt. However, as Not-Larxene slammed into Xigbar’s chest, cutting short his spell and knocking Xion and Roxas onto a cushion of Unversed, she realized that had been a false assumption.

The pressure increased, causing her to curl in on herself, and a hand landed lightly on her shoulder. She looked at Roxas, who was staring back at her with a concern that bordered on panic.

Two large Unversed appeared in the mob, big enough to ride on. They weren’t a type she’d seen before; she’d have to ask Vanitas what they were later. The pressure subsided, and she sighed with the relief. The taller Unversed bent down, and Xion recognized the invitation, climbing onto one's back.

Roxas gave the Unversed around him a skeptical look. He’d been able to ignore them when focused on Xion’s distress, but now that he had no such distractions he clearly found them a bit off-putting.

He seemed to listen to something, then summoned a keyblade. For a moment, Xion was worried he’d start attacking them, but the shape of it  _ changed _ .

Roxas pulled himself into the seat (the  _ seat _ ) that had appeared on the newly changed key, and summoned  _ another keyblade _ before giving Xion a tentative smile and thumbs up.

Xion returned it.

Dawn cheered, jumping and pushing herself higher on Ephemer’s shoulder. Ephemer staggered.

“That’s…” Xigbar said, regaining his balance from where Elrena (when had Xion realized that was her name?) had pushed him. “That’s not supposed to happen.”

“You are the only person who gives a single, solitary  _ shit _ about ‘supposed to’,” Elrena said, before turning to the kids. “Good job, you two. Looking badass.”

“Thank you, strange Larxene,” Roxas said.

~*~*~*~

Far enough away that calling it the past was mere formality, an old wizard approached a young man as the sun set on the archipelago.

The young man, for his part, didn’t notice. He stared out across the waves, eyes unfocused as he imagined what lay beyond the horizon.

Yen Sid coughed.

Xehanort turned to him, surprise tinging his expression. “Who are you?” He asked. “You’re not from the islands.”

“That I am not,” Yen Sid agreed. “I come from very far away.”

Xehanort smiled. It was a strange thing, Yen Sid thought. He hadn’t seen that expression in a long time. “I  _ knew _ there was more out there,” He said. “I just  _ knew _ it!”

“The cosmos are vaster than any of us can understand,” Yen Sid said. “Least of all yourself, who has only seen this place.”

“So show me,” Xehanort said. “ _ Please _ .”

Yen Sid shook his head, and Xehanort’s face fell. “I am here to deliver a warning,” Yen Sid said. “I cannot be sure the event will come to pass, but…”

“What, can you see the future or something?” Xehanort asked. “Because if you  _ can _ , I  _ definitely _ want to learn how to do that.”

“I know of possibilities,” Yen Sid allowed. “In many of those possibilities… you are deceived into committing a dreadful wrongness.”

“Wow,” Xehanort said. “You talk like my grandpa. Then again, you do seem about his age.”

“I have not seen your future, Xehanort,” Yen Sid said. “I needed to speak with you as you are now, and I would not wish to lock you into the fate that befalls so many of your other selves.”

Xehanort considered that. “What happens to them?” He asked.

“Many continue to believe what they have been told, not questioning where it falls apart,” Yen Sid said. “Those who do not, fall into a deep despair over their actions. Neither course is desirable.”

“No,” Xehanort agreed. Then, a thought clearly struck him. “How did you know my name?”

Yen Sid looked at him for a long moment.

“Okay, stupid question,” Xehanort said. “You can see the future. Of  _ course _ you know my name. You probably looked ahead to when I introduced myself, or something.” Xehanort paused. “Should I do that now?”

“That will not be necessary,” Yen Sid said. “Listen to me, Xehanort. If someone comes offering time travel, he is lying to you, and attempting to enlist your help in being supremely unkind to a child who has to deal with enough people and things trying to kill him  _ without _ involving you.”

“I take it this ‘supreme unkindness’ is more attempts to kill him,” Xehanort said.

“Yes,” Yen Sid said.

“Disgusting,” Xehanort decided. “Uh. Thanks for the heads up, I guess…? I should probably head home soon.”

“Most likely.” Yen Sid nodded, and Xehanort rolled off.

When he was further off, he turned, looking back at where the conversation had occurred.

No one was there.

~*~*~*~

When Xigbar had left, the gravity had gone back to normal.

Kairi and Saix had scrambled to their feet, facing Ira, but Xircon hadn’t moved.

Ira gathered him up, before turning to Saix. “Coming?”

“I’d rather not,” Saix said. “Considering how that went, I’d assume I’ve been designated collateral. I’d rather deal with someone who  _ wants _ to kill me, than someone who’s ambivalent to the idea.”

Ira shrugged. “Suit yourself,” He said, handing Xircon to Saix, and walked off.

There was a pause.

Kairi pointed at Xircon. “Who’s that?” She asked. “Is he okay? Why does he look like Riku?”

Saix considered not telling her. Then he considered the fact that he really had no reason not to tell her. “He’s a replica,” He said. “One of Vexen’s old experiments, I believe. As for whether he’s okay, he… well, he hasn’t lost his form and he seems to be breathing, as far as I can tell.”

“Hm,” Kairi said. “Even’s got some explaining to do when I get home, I guess.”

Saix blinked at her. “Even?”

“Yeah,” Kairi said.

“Vexen’s  _ original self _ ?”

“Yeah,” Kairi said. She managed not to laugh. He looked  _ so _ dumbstruck.

“I… I thought Vexen died,” Saix said.

“Yeah,” Kairi said. “Apparently that’s how it works.”

“Mm,” Saix said. “I see. So that woman  _ was _ Larxene’s Somebody…”

He sat down on the floor, considering.

“Uh,” Kairi said. “I think we fight now?”

“Sounds about right,” Saix said. “This hallway is hardly appropriate for the confrontation, however.”

“Yeah,” Kairi said. “We should probably go somewhere more dramatic.”

“Probably,” Saix said. “ Do  _ you _ have any qualitative preferences?”

“Nothing that gives you an unfair advantage,” She said. “Let’s do this simple and clean.”

“Right.” Saix stood and began to walk off down the hallway. “I know just the place.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [got the chart up btw](https://roxasboxas.tumblr.com/post/615252227988340736/some-version-of-the-chart-for-the-wheelchair-au)
> 
> I realized when I was checking this last night that it might be unclear so uhhh. the scene with Yen Sid and young Xehanort in this chapter takes place in another timeline, it's just one that would have gotten its jelly in our jam here at some point anyways. Yen Sid muses about it earlier when he's taking his once a decade trip 50 ft outside his tower so he can do some timeline watching
> 
> Also I was hoping to cover Simple and Clean before getting this chapter out but I did not. Still might do it later but I'll have to fuck around with some stuff. I'll let y'all know ig


	91. Everything Happens So Much

“Think it’s happening,” Igni said. “ _ Something _ is.”

“Right, then,” Ava said, standing from the chair she’d been occupying and brushing her hands together. “Do we have any preparations we can make in the next ten minutes?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“Let’s go, then,” Astrid said. “Wouldn’t do to keep everyone waiting, after all.”

~*~*~*~

Two women looked up from the tea they were having. The hare they’d been having it with looked between them, confused.

“What’s that, then?” One of the women asked the other.

“What’s what?” The hare asked.

“I think we both know, Nonaya,” The other woman said. “Much as we never  _ wanted _ to see it personally, I think we should go check on things.”

“Heh, fair enough,” The first woman, Nonaya, said. “Think that clockwork bastard will want to check it out?”

“With  _ you _ along?” The hare laughed. “Hardly! Shall we be going?”

“ _ You _ shan’t be,” Nonaya said. “You need to look after things while I’m gone, and should I not return.”

The hare huffed. “You’d  _ best _ return. I’d  _ like _ it if your role didn’t need filling again so soon.”

“I know, I know,” Nonaya said. “But what is happening now is older than my responsibility here.”

“We’ve dallied enough,” The other woman said. “Let’s be off, now.”

“Coming, Bertie,” Nonaya laughed.

~*~*~*~

The sword in her hand clatter to the floor, replaced by the largest, sharpest key any of her opponents had ever seen. She did not pause or break in her motion, taking them all out as she would with any other weapon.

“Your highness?” One of her own soldiers asked her.

She looked at the key in her hands, and scoffed. “Now?” She asked.

A prince, one of her allies, entered the room, quick of pace and short of breath. “Kushana,” He said. “There’s-- what is  _ that _ ?”

“At this point?” She said, dispelling it and picking up her sword. “A summons I cannot answer. Let’s get back to  _ your _ war, and if giant warriors begin to wake, we’ll figure out what to do from there.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” The prince muttered.

“Seriously, you two?” A queen fought one of their opponents back, past the open door the prince had entered through. “Do we have to do this  _ now _ ?”

“Well,” The prince said. “When else are we gonna do it? It’s not like we ever hang out when we’re not engaged in any sort of deadly combat.”

~*~*~*~

The gummyship landed on one of the balconies of the castle, and everyone got out and stretched.

“Let’s go meet up with the advance party, then,” Namine said. “No doubt they’re having some sort of trouble by now.”

“Yeah,” Sora said. “Just one question, though?”

Everyone looked at him.

“ _ How _ are we gonna find them?”

Everyone groaned.

“How did we  _ not _ think of this  _ before _ heading out?” Riku asked.

“Can’t believe this,” Aeleus muttered. “I’m a himbo.”

“In any case,” Mickey said. “No use waiting around here. Let’s go, everyone.”

Everyone nodded.

~*~*~*~

Elrena was very mad.

Luxu had lived a thousand years, stealing people’s lives and lying in wait all that time until  _ this moment _ , where he was presently having the audacity  _ not to have the shit kicked clean out of him. _

It was an outrage.

Ephemer and Strelitzia were clearly of the same opinion. Dawn just seemed glad to be spending time with everyone, which Elrena supposed was about as healthy as anything that anyone else was doing.

Roxas and Xion had gone somewhere else, presumably because this battle was taking place in a hallway, which was a location where no one had wanted to fight,  _ ever _ , at any point. It made enough sense.

Luxu jumped back and started shooting, and to her surprise, Elrena found herself able to dodge. Ephemer and Strelitzia, too.

Dawn, for her part, had relented in her own attack, crouching down and humming.

Elrena was beginning to think they should have gone over what they could all do before running head first into what was going on. Still, she wasn’t going to push her good fortune by questioning it too much.

Luxu swore, stepping back further as he summoned a dark corridor and vanished through it.

“Hmf,” Elrena said.

“Sorry,” Dawn said. “I couldn’t keep him here  _ and _ keep you all from getting hit.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ephemer said. “I, for one, am not going to object to not being shot.”

“I don’t think any of us will object to not being shot,” Strelitzia said.

“Okay, good,” Dawn said. “So that means none of you will be mad at me if we stub our toes all the way to wherever we go next?”

“Dawn,” Elrena said. “I have just not been sniped by a one thousand year old dude whose  _ thing _ is sniping people really good. I could stub every bone in my body and I’d be fine with it, if that were the consequence.”

“Some of those bones would be pretty hard to stub,” Strelitzia said.

“Oh, yeah?” Ephemer asked.

Strelitzia nodded. “Cure spells can gain up to a 75% increase in effectiveness when the caster knows the anatomy and inner workings of the target. Mine are up to 60% on humans.”

“Neat,” Everyone said.

Elrena looked around. “This way,” She said, pointing down the hall. “We’ll find more activity this way, most likely.”

They all went that way.

~*~*~*~

Roxas and Xion zoomed through the halls.

“So,” Xion said. “How have you been?”

“I missed you,” Roxas said. “Also, Saix has been acting really weird in a way that mostly just seems to mean he’s mad at me.”

“Hm,” Xion said. “That sucks. Theoretically, we won’t have to deal with that after this.”

“Sounds nice,” Roxas said. “Will he be calming down, or just dead?”

Xion shrugged.

“Yeah, fair enough,” Roxas said.

They were silent for a bit.

“So,” Roxas said. “Vanitas, huh?”

“What about him?”

“What  _ is _ he?”

“He was born from the pure darkness of a heart,” Xion said. “He’s in therapy now, though, so I think he’s less angsty.”

“What are those?” Roxas pointed at the Unversed.

“Unversed. He makes them.”

“Even when he’s… dreaming?”

Xion shrugged. “It’s a lot more effort when I’m up than when he is, I think.”

“Okay,” Roxas said. “Theoretically, though, could he summon himself like that?”

They stopped.

“We hadn’t thought of that,” Xion said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sleep schedule might be irreparable at this point so I'm not going to make y'all wait until I wake up in the afternoon before I post this. It's 2am and I'm gonna head to bed once this is up talk ttyl


	92. Demyx Gets Some Free Therapy Before Getting Down To Business

Ava, Brain, Igni, Sean, and Astrid stepped out of their light corridor. It just so happened that this occurred in the same place as two armored people landing crafts that transformed back into giant keys when they were dismounted.

“Uh,” Ava said.

“Igni, dear, is that you?” One of the people asked.

“Bertie?” Igni squealed in delight, rushing to hug the old woman as she deactivated her armor and nodded.

“Oh, well, this is a surprise.” The other armored figure only deactivated her helmet, revealing herself to be Nonaya. “I don’t believe I’ve met all of you.”

“Now isn’t really the best time for introductions,” Ava said. “I’m afraid we’ve a war to prevent, and it’s already starting.”

“That  _ would _ happen to be an issue,” Bertie agreed. “Such a shame, really, I’d simply  _ love _ to catch up.”

~*~*~*~

Claymore and keyblade clashed as Saix and Kairi fought. Magic wreaked havoc on the room around them, rogue spells having long since shattered various bits of architecture and frozen doors shut.

The battle paused, the combatants glaring each other down.

“Yield,” Saix said, trying not to show how much he was relying on his blade for support.

“You first,” Kairi said, breathing heavily from the exertion.

The two charged at each other again, thought and words forgotten in the face of battle.

Invi sat above them, shaded by something that had not yet been destroyed, watching. The new arrivals, she knew from Luxu, did not organize themselves by battle class as the castle’s residents did. Still, if they had, Invi was reasonably sure she would be watching two berserkers fight.

The battle broke apart again.

“ _ Yield _ ,” Saix said again.

“ _ You first _ .”

Then they rushed each other again.

A few more crashes, a few more landed hits.

“ _ Yield! _ ”

“ _ You first! _ ”

It was fascinating, really. Both of them really seemed to have such indominable wills. Of course, Invi was sure, that gave Saix the advantage; unlike the human he fought, he wouldn’t die unless he thought he ought to.

Invi felt someone sit down next to her, and turned. The man there wore the Organization’s coat, but he was the spitting image of the boy she’d once known, Dyme.

“So,” He said, looking down at the fight. “You’re one of Xigbar’s old gang, right? Er,  _ Luxu _ , I mean, I guess.”

“Oh,” She said, turning back to the fight below. “I suppose you could put it that way.”

“Hm,” He said.

Invi turned back to him,  **rising into her literate state to see his heart. It seemed, for all purposes, surprisingly normal. Not balanced enough for certain oddities to appear, but not biased enough for the other ones.**

**Mentally, she reached out, peering into his heart.**

**He twitched, adrenaline flooding him as she made contact. She was vaguely aware of him looking around, the chemical response resolving into concrete emotions of fear and confusion, but she was preoccupied.**

**His memories were inconclusive, unfortunately. They played backwards, inverted, impossible to understand. She knew the count of them was wrong for a man of his apparent age, but that was all she could glean.**

**Yes, externally, his heart seemed normal. But that was only an illusion.**

**Hearts and their owners did share a number of qualities, she supposed, as she ** dropped back into the world as it was for the rest of its inhabitants.

“I’m sorry,” She said. “I forgot to ask your name.”

“Mm,” He said, still looking around with a receding nervousness. “Guess that’s fair. I forgot to ask yours.”

There was a pause.

( _ “Yield!” “You first!” _ )

“So,” Invi said. “What  _ is _ your name?”

“Oh, I’m Demyx,” He said. “What about you?”

“Invi.”

“Hm,” Demyx said. “That sounds familiar, somehow.”

“Does it?”

“Yeah, I feel like I’ve met you before, actually.”

“Perhaps,” Invi allowed. “You do remind me of someone I once knew.”

“I mean,” Demyx said. “I wouldn’t look into it  _ that _ much. I get that vibe from a lot of people. It’s pretty random, really.”

“Have you got amnesia?” Invi asked. “Lose any memories?”

“Well, uh,” Demyx said. “I took a really long nap, at one point. Still not sure how long, to be honest, but… sometimes I feel like I’m still in the ‘waking up from the nap’ stage of it, you know?”

“How long has it been since then?” Invi asked.

“I dunno, like a while?” Demyx shrugged. “I woke up and instantly got a job, so I could probably ask someone.”

“You got a job while still in the ‘waking up from the nap’ stage of napping?” Invi asked.

“Yeah,” Demyx said. “Xigbar woke me up, like, ‘hey dude, quit napping, join this emo gang cult thing’. Didn’t really have anything else to do.”

“Huh,” Invi said. She pointed down at Saix. “Would he know how long you’ve been working here?”

“Yeah, probably,” Demyx said. “You wanna go ask him?”

“Mm,” Invi said. “Maybe later.”

“Might not be a later,” Demyx said.

“That girl is human,” Invi said. “She’s not as durable as he or you. He will live unless he runs out of will, which I doubt will happen.”

“Oh,” Demyx said. “Huh.”

(“ _ For fuck’s sake, just stand down!” “Okay, boomer!” “Why you little--” _ )

“If we only die when we run out of will, how did Larxene die, then?” Demyx asked.

“Larxene?” Invi looked at him in confusion. “I don’t know her.”

“She was one of our coworkers, here,” Demyx said. “Joined after I did. I thought I didn’t like her that much, but…”

“You miss her?”

Demyx drew his legs up to his chest, watching the fight. “You know,” He said. “I’m not sure you’re really the person for me to talk to about this.”

Invi  **looked at him again, closer. His memories were still unreadable, but his emotions had subsided to a dull, aching feeling. She could tell that he again noticed the intrusion, but he didn’t seem to care as much the second time. Either he’d figured that it was harmless, or he was hoping for a little bit of harm.**

“Fair enough,” She said. “So, what brings you up here, instead of dealing with any of the intruders, anyhow?”

“Oh, that,” Demyx said. “I almost forgot. Luxord wanted me to tell you something.”

“Who is--” Invi began, but cut off as a harsh chord cut through the room, summoning water from who knew where to where she was suddenly having to work very hard to not get injured or something.

Below them, Saix and Kairi paused, looking up.

“Fuck you and the war you rode in on,” Demyx said, standing and picking an intricate melody.

Saix looked at Kairi.

Kairi looked at Saix.

“I think we have bigger fish to fry,” Saix said, casting a cure spell on himself and pulling a bottle from his pocket. “Ether?”

“I brought my own,” Kairi said.

Saix nodded, downing his bottle’s contents himself as Kairi withdrew her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to Cinnamon_Lover for having the conversation with me about Demyx that inspired some of the dialogue in this chapter.
> 
> Xigbar: Get a job  
Demyx, waking up: huh  
Xigbar: Join my emo band


	93. A Lot Happens But I Only Want To Talk About Soup

Sora rounded the corner first, and skidded to a halt next to Roxas and Xion.

“Sora?” Roxas said, surprise breaking through whatever had been going on before.

“Hi,” Sora said. Then he turned to Xion. “Where’s Kairi?”

Xion shook her head. “Dunno,” She said. “We got separated when Xigbar showed up.”

“She’s not  _ with _ Xigbar, is she?” Riku asked, running up to them. The rest of their party was close behind.

“No, she was with Saix and Xircon and Ira,” Roxas said.

“Saix and who and  _ who _ ?” Aeleus asked.

Roxas looked at him. “Lexaeus?”

Aeleus shook his head. “We can talk about that part later. There are other priorities right now.”

“Okay,” Roxas said. “We should probably find Kairi and Saix and them again, then, huh?”

Sora nodded. “Where are they?”

“They  _ were _ in a hallway by my old room,” Xion said. “I think Saix would try to go somewhere a bit more open, though. Seems like his style.”

“He likes drama,” Roxas agreed. “They won’t be in the hall anymore.”

“Let’s check all the big rooms between here and there,” Riku said.

~*~*~*~

Igni paused, turning to look at a door that the group had almost passed.

Everyone else paused with her.

She opened the door.

Gula looked up from what seemed to be an ocean of soups, collected and sorted in large pots that simmered at low heats on every surface.

“You gonna just be hanging out in here?” She asked.

“Yeah, mostly,” Gula said. “Would, uh… would anyone like some soup?”

Igni turned to the rest of her group. “ _ Would _ anyone like some soup?”

“Maybe later,” Ava said. “Hi, Gula.”

“Oh, Ava,” Gula said. “Hi.”

There was a pause.

Gula shifted uneasily. “So you’re gonna--”

“-- make sure that the predictions are irrevocably inaccurate? Yeah.”

“ _ Why _ ?”

“Oh,” Brain said. “That’s easy. They fucking suck.”

“Basically that,” Ava agreed.

Gula considered that. “No way to convince you not to do that?”

“None at all,” Ava agreed.

“You’d rather destroy the timeline?”

“Sincerely doubt it’ll actually collapse.”

Gula shrugged, and tasted a soup. “Cool. I’ll be here, then.”

“Great,” Ava said. “We’ll try to come back for soup when we’re done.

“See you then.”

They closed the door, and the party moved on.

“That was easier than I thought it’d be,” Igni said.

Nonaya shrugged. “I’m not complaining.”

~*~*~*~

Invi vanished, leaving Saix, Demyx, and Kairi to look around at each other.

“So,” Demyx said. “Was that a temporary thing, or are we all on the same side now?”

“That’s a good question,” Kairi said. “Whose side would you be on if we weren’t?”

“I don’t like that there’s doubt here,” Saix said.

Demyx bit his lip. “You know,” He said. “I think no matter what I said, I’d probably die of it, so I think I will keep that to myself for the time.”

“Well, in any case, it seems that a certain… coalition, let’s say, has had a hidden agenda when it comes to the Organization for quite some time,” Saix said.

Demyx flinched. Saix pretended not to see it.

“Xigbar’s machinations run deep enough that I’m not sure there’d be anything left were we to remove them,” Saix continued. “That might be the better option.”

“So…” Kairi said. “Beating up Xigbar squad?”

“We  _ will _ have to find him, of course,” Saix said. “Though, I--” He cut off, eyes snapping shut and hand flying to his head.

“Saix?” Demyx asked.

Saix’s eyes opened. They were beginning to glow.

“Go,” He hissed.

“What’s going on?” Kairi asked.

“I dunno, but I think we’d better book it.” Demyx backed up, raising his hands defensively.

Saix was beginning to double over, stance widening, posture growing more pained. Almost… more feral.

“I don’t think we should leave him like that,” Kairi said.

“Well, I don’t see what else we can do,” Demyx said. “Come on, he probably knows what to do about this better than we do.”

Kairi looked between Demyx and Saix.

“No,” She said. “You go if you want. I’m staying.”

Demyx groaned, going half limp with exasperation.

Saix let out a low keening noise, and Kairi realized that his eyes were just yellow, and leaked light in a way that light did not normally move. His pupils and sclera were gone, and the glow trailed down his face, dripping onto the floor.

“Sora would probably do a better job here,” She muttered to herself, before inching closer to the man.

“Gh…” Saix’s expression was wild, and pained, and he took a step back as she approached.

“Hey,” She said. “You can get through this. You’ve made it this long.”

Saix closed his eyes again, the glow flowing down his face in an extra burst, almost like tears.

“It’s gonna be okay.”

What happened next happened all at once.

The claymore appeared in Saix’s hands and his eyes snapped open as he lunged.

Kairi moved on instincts she didn’t know she had, dodging to the side  _ just enough _ and raising her keyblade.

The claymore scraped her arm.

The keyblade pierced his heart.

They stood there for what felt like an eternity, frozen in time. A hot trickle of blood began to run down Kairi’s arm. The light faded from Saix’s eyes, and the tracks on his cheeks dimmed until they were ordinary tears.

He was still crying. That, perhaps, was the strangest part of all.

“That’s that, then,” Kairi said, not moving.

“Seems so,” Saix said, equally still.

They paused for a few moments more.

“Give Roxas my apologies,” Saix said. “Ventus, too, when he wakes up. I’ve… I was wrong.”

Kairi wanted to say something else, but then Saix wasn’t there anymore. It was almost as if he never had been, except for the claymore clattering to the ground and the blood on Kairi’s arm.

A spell surrounded her for a moment, and she felt the scrape knit itself back together.

“That was unnecessary,” Kairi said, turning to Demyx.

“Says you,” Demyx shot back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gula is semi-valid because he wants to make soup more than he wants to fight in wars send tweet
> 
> Him and Riku are actually the only two characters who make legitimate appearances in this fic that can cook. Fun fact of the day
> 
> Kairi was originally going to be in overalls like Namine's but I decided I wanted them to have outfits that were a bit more different from each other so now she's got this outfit instead. Also weapons are hard to draw (︶^︶)


	94. I Regret To Inform You That This Chapter Really Isn't Funny At All

Xemnas turned as Xigbar appeared behind him.

“You did something.”

Xigbar shrugged. “‘Swhat you pay me for, isn’t it?” He leaned casually on the other man’s shoulder.

“What  _ did _ you do?” Xemnas turned, looking back up to Kingdom Hearts.

“Just gave Saix a little nudge, really,” Xigbar said, voice easy as it had always been. “He seemed to be having a little trouble berserking.”

Xemnas considered that. “Is that why he’s dead now?”

“ _ **What**? _ ”

Xemnas stiffened in surprise at the sudden loss of control in Xigbar’s voice. He moved slowly, shrugging the older man off of him and staring at him very seriously. “Unless there is another reason his sigil is inert, Saix is dead. Just like Axel, and Xaldin, and Lexaeus and Larxene, and Vexen, and Zexion.”

Xemnas hadn’t realized he’d been  _ mad _ about that. Not until he’d started talking. He hadn’t been  _ pleased _ with the way things had been going, certainly, but he hadn’t realized precisely how upset he was until he was staring down Xigbar, in that moment, and Saix was dead, and it was Xigbar’s fault.

Part of him blamed himself, too. He’d created that connection, that flow of power, that had allowed Xigbar to do whatever he’d done.

“That’s-- No, he wasn’t-- He shouldn’t have-- he  _ knew _ !” Xigbar was pacing, now, and seemed to be dissolving into a confused incoherence that was almost entirely out of character for him.

“Xigbar?” Xemnas asked slowly. “ _ Why _ did you feel Saix needed to berserk? Why are he and Axel dead?”

Xigbar snapped back from whatever state he’d been in with frightening speed. “Well, that’s actually what I came up here to talk to you about,” He said. “See, uh, funny story… remember when I said you were  _ probably _ gonna end up being a bad dad?”

Xemnas’ eyes narrowed. “I recall.”

“Well,” Xigbar said. “Sora and all his friends are here to, ah, kill us all. So…”

Xemnas looked at him for a long moment. Xigbar stood there, being looked at.

“What did you do?” Xemnas asked.

“What?” Xigbar asked. “What makes you assume it’s  _ my _ fault?”

“Because I know you,” Xemnas said. “And I know Sora. What did you do?”

Xigbar looked away from Xemnas, expression flashing with annoyance. “Actually, I think it’s Marluxia’s fault. His little  _ gambit _ at Castle Oblivion didn’t precisely  _ endear _ Sora to the concept of Organization XIII.”

Xemnas decided that he wasn’t going to get anywhere with that avenue of questioning. “What do you propose we do?”

“Ah, there’s the question, isn’t it?” Xigbar sighed. “We might have to start over completely.”

“Completely?” Xemnas asked.

“Completely,” Xigbar said. “It’s not  _ ideal _ , but it may be necessary. New Organization. New Kingdom Hearts. New hero.”

Xemnas’ breath caught. Xigbar wasn’t,  _ couldn’t be _ suggesting… “New… hero?”

Xigbar seemed to realize what he’d said. “Well, of course,” He said. “If you can talk Sora into retiring the whole keyblade crusade, you  _ might  _ be able to salvage that investment. Still, of course,  _ someone _ will need to wield the keyblade against the heartless, so… new hero.”

“Xigbar.” Xemnas sighed. “I can  _ tell _ when you’re lying to me. It’s rather insulting that you continue to try.”

Xigbar gave him a half-hopeful look. “You  _ could _ try it,” He said weakly. “It  _ might _ work.”

Xemnas gave him a long, hard look.

Finally, he spoke. “I’ll be back,” He said finally, and disappeared through a dark corridor.

Xigbar sighed, shaking his head as he watched the corridor fade. “Where did  _ he _ get so sharp?” He asked no one in particular. “He certainly didn’t get it from either of  _ them _ .”

Then he opened a corridor of his own. He had some more business to attend to.

~*~*~*~

Demyx carried the unconscious Xircon on his back and he and Kairi jogged through the halls, and he couldn’t help but feel like something was about to go dreadfully, horribly wrong.

They rounded a corner, and nearly slammed into Elrena.

Demyx took a few steps back.

“How did you get here?” Kairi asked.

“We’ve got coats,” Strelitzia said, popping out from behind Elrena.

Kairi looked at her. She looked at Kairi. Demyx glanced between them, nervous.

“What’cha got there, Demyx?” Elrena asked.

“Oh, uh,” Demyx said. “A kid Marluxia found. Said his name was Xircon. Not sure why he’s passed out, but a cure spell didn’t wake him up, so he’s probably fine?”

“Maybe he’s lazy like you,” Elrena said.

“Yeah, maybe,” Demyx agreed. “I can respect that.”

“Speaking of Marluxia, where is he?” Elrena asked.

“Dunno,” Demyx said.

Another woman appeared very suddenly from behind the two of them. Demyx blinked, recognizing her as a Nobody. “Hi Kairi!” She said brightly. “Hi, you! You must be Demyx, right? Because we’re stopping to talk to you, and you’re not pink, or old.”

“Uh,” Demyx said.

“Yeah, this is Demyx,” Elrena said. “Demyx, this is Dawn. She’s the Nobody of the reincarnation of an old friend of ours.”

“ _ Ours _ ours?” Demyx asked, gesturing between himself and Elrena. “Or  _ yours _ ours?” He waved vaguely at the group. Then he readjusted his grip on Xircon.

“That second one,” A fourth voice said, and Demyx’s breath caught in his throat.

The man there was Xepherem.  _ Wasn’t _ Xepherem.  _ Couldn’t be _ Xepherem.  _ Had to be _ Xepherem.

Demyx felt the tears springing to his eyes unbidden, and he wanted to look away to hide them but he couldn’t, because that was-- that was--

“My name is Ephemer,” The man said, a little awkwardly. “I… have my Nobody’s memories of you, it… it seems you’ve been aging at a human rate, since he died.”

Strelitzia moved and took Xircon from Demyx’s back, and he let her. He couldn’t look away from the man in front of him. From Ephemer. From the face he never thought he’d see again.

Something at the edge of his awareness twitched, and Demyx didn’t think. He darted forward, tackling the man in front of him to the ground as the bullet whizzed overhead.

~*~*~*~

Dawn hadn’t been paying much attention to the others, after saying her hellos. It was important to be polite, but they were in the middle of a warzone.

She was paying attention to her magic.

She could feel a pile of rotten luck approaching them. She’d never felt anything like that before. Then again, she’d never bent the world so completely as she had been.

Luck, good  _ and _ bad, swirled through the air. The good luck was swirling away.

Briefly, Dawn glanced at her  _ completely _ distracted cohorts. That wouldn’t do.

Mentally, she reached out and  _ pulled _ . All the good luck to her allies around her, and…

All the bad luck to her.

There are many things that an observer might wonder, about that decision. Perhaps they are being wondered right now.

The bad luck hit Dawn full force, every inch and ounce slamming into her at once.

She almost didn’t feel the physical impact.

Almost.

After all, even the  _ largest _ bullet is only so big.

Still, everything is felt, to some degree. Even if only by the absence of all other feelings in the moments after death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [we got](https://aimeelouart.tumblr.com/post/615952214323789824/so-uh-chapter-93-of-wheel-and-turn-destroyed-me) [fan art!!](https://tamlins-stories-and-poems.tumblr.com/post/616054874325614592/three-birthday-presents-for-three-whole-separate) im super super super happy!! also today is my birthday! the first is a comic of a scene from last chapter and the second is a pic of the bnb gang. its HELLA
> 
> Luxu: You can't make an egg without committing a cosmically significant amount of murder  
Xemnas: I feel like that's. Not the saying
> 
> I wrote a lil fic of canon!Riku interacting with this au's Riku but I haven't posted it yet for undetermined reasons. Uh. <strike>read my ffvii fic</strike>


	95. Everyone Seems To Have Their Priorities In Order

Marluxia ran through the halls, inwardly cursing himself for letting Xircon out of his sight so close to the moment of reckoning. Of  _ course _ things would be happening  _ now _ , at the  _ worst possible time _ . Anything else would be too easy.

He opened a door to check a room, and saw that the door on the other side was  _ also _ opened, by people who were  _ also _ checking.

Marluxia looked at Namine and Aeleus, and Namine and Aeleus looked at Marluxia.

“Fuck,” Namine announced.

“Hey,” Aeleus and Marluxia said in unison.

Riku appeared behind them, Sora on his back and peering over his shoulder. “You’re Marluxia, right?”

Marluxia looked at him, nodding slowly.

“We’re polling for interest on beating up Xigbar,” Riku said. “Can we get your opinion?”

“Fuck, I don’t give a shit,” Marluxia said. “I’ve got other priorities right now. Have you seen any replicas around?”

Riku raised an eyebrow. “How would we know?”

Marluxia crossed his arms. “Trust me, you’d know.”

“No, then,” Aeleus said.

“Alright, bye,” Marluxia said.

“No, hey, stick with us,” Aeleus said, crossing the floor and lifting Marluxia up under his arms before returning to the rest of his group, which included more people than Marluxia had seen through two doors.

“Why?” Marluxia asked. “I have a child to find. I need to make sure that he doesn’t get murdered in the confusion.”

“He’ll be fine as long as he doesn’t try to murder anyone else,” Goofy said.

“Are you sure?” Marluxia asked. “There seem to be some pretty murder-happy people in the building right now.”

“Just come on,” Sora said. “Not much to do about the situation on your own anyway, right?”

Marluxia looked at him for a long moment. “I don’t seem to have a choice,” He sighed finally.

~*~*~*~

“Dawn!” Strelitzia yelled.

Demyx looked up to see the last wisps of Dawn’s body fading from the air in front of him. He considered his options, and rolled off of Ephemer, standing and turning to face down the hallway.

Xigbar stood there, gun smoking.

“Huh,” The man said. “Unfortunate. She still could have been useful.”

Ephemer stood, slower than Demyx had.

“You killed her,” He whispered.

“Eh, she did that to herself, really.” Xigbar shrugged. “I was  _ aiming _ for Demyx. He’s outlived  _ his  _ utility.”

Demyx’s blood ran cold.

Ephemer charged, summoning his keyblade as he reached Xigbar, swinging with a silent ruthlessness that Demyx had never seen from Xepherem.

Xigbar blocked every hit, but danced backwards, clearly on the defensive.

When Xigbar struck back, it was enough to knock Ephemer away, but not really enough to hurt him.

“What is he--” Demyx muttered.

“Dawn bent luck,” Strelitzia said. “She must have-- She must have given us a lot in exchange for her death.”

Ephemer landed a hit. Xigbar slid backwards.

“Demyx, you have to go,” Elrena said.

“What?” Demyx turned to her.

“If you want to live, you have to go,” She said. “You know Xigbar. He won’t stop until you’re dead.”

“What if he--”

“That’s not important to you,” Elrena said. “Listen to me when I tell you not to die.”

“You really are different from her,” Demyx said.

“Yes, I am,” Elrena said. “I  _ acknowledge _ the fact that I don’t want people I know dying on me.”

Demyx looked at her for a long moment.

“Go,” She said again.

“I’d die less than he would,” Demyx said, and ran towards the fight.

“Wh-- Demyx,  _ no _ !” Elrena and Strelitzia yelled.

Demyx didn’t acknowledge that, opting to slam into Xigbar in order to prevent another hit to Ephemer.

“What are you doing?” Ephemer asked.

“Saving your ass,” Demyx said.

“You’re an idiot,” Ephemer said.

“I’ve been called worse.” Demyx shrugged. “If you have anyone else to deal with, I think you should go do that now.”

Music filled the hallway.

~*~*~*~

Marluxia had almost resigned himself to his fate when the group rounded another corner (now that he thought about it, there were a lot of corners in this place to be rounded) and came face to faces with Ira.

Most of the group ended up in various combat stances. Marluxia stood there, looking between them and his Somebody’s former union leader.

Ira summoned a keyblade.

“Excuse me,” Marluxia said. He had to get this in before the situation got any worse, or else he’d  _ never _ get the answer. “I’m looking for a small boy, have you seen him?”

Everyone just kind of looked at him.

“Look,” Marluxia said. “He has maybe about two and a half days of cumulative experience, and it turns out that everyone wants to commit murder so much right now, so I’d like to make sure no one stabs him or anything. I think that’s my responsibility now. I named him.”

“Adds up,” Namine allowed.

“I, uh… I knew where two children  _ were _ ,” Ira allowed.

“Which ones? Where?” Marluxia pushed.

“I’m no good with names,” Ira muttered. “One of them was in a coat, and the other wasn’t. They were with that blue haired guy, uh… Saix, I think his name is.”

Marluxia wasn’t sure whether or not he was okay with that.

“In any case,” Ira said. “If you don’t have a keyblade, I’d like to ask you to get out of the way.”

“No one’s stopping you from asking,” Aeleus said.

Ira paused. “… Can you?” He asked.

“No,” Namine said.

It was at precisely that point that Roxas descended from around the ceiling, quickly enough that he lifted out of his chair as it moved down faster than him, before landing back in it as it crashed onto Ira.

It took Marluxia a few moments to recognize that Roxas’ chair was a keyblade. He wasn’t really sure how that worked. He continued to be unsure of the workings of anything Roxas was doing as the boy summoned a second keyblade and started circling Ira, hitting at him frequently.

“Where did he learn to do that?” Marluxia asked, gesturing vaguely.

“Dunno,” Sora said.

“I mean, Ven’s in there,” Namine said. “He might have some advice. Him and Vanitas had teachers.  _ Bad _ ones, who were terrible, but still.”

“Bad in what way?” Marluxia asked, not sure how to process how any of this worked.

“Pretty bad,” Xion said vaguely, which Marluxia presumed was all he was going to get on this.

  
That was fair. To be honest, nothing of the topic was really relevant to the situation at hand. Marluxia just needed to think about  _ something _ , at that point.  _ Anything _ to keep his mind off of all of the things that could have been happening to Xircon right then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Namine: why can't I say fuck?  
Marluxia: because it's a fucking bad word


	96. Sister's Crippling Self Doubt Really Puts A Crimp In Man's Evening Plans

Xircon woke up on someone’s back, jostling as they ran. “Mm?” He managed.

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” A voice said. “How are you feeling?”

“What’s…” He muttered.

“We’ve got to get him back to the Garden,” Another voice said. “He’s not safe here, and we’re not safe carrying him around like this.”

“Do you want to take him, then?” The first voice asked.

“I’d  _ rather _ be around for the revenge part.”

“And  _ I _ wouldn’t, Ephemer? You think I want to wander off while everyone else figures out how to kill the man who ripped my heart from my body?”

Xircon opened his eyes to find his face resting in copper-colored hair. He sat up a bit straighter and looked around.

“Why doesn’t Kairi do it?” A blonde who had been silent up to that point asked.

“I can’t make any sort of corridors on command yet,” Kairi said. “Also, he’s not that much shorter than me, so unless he’s up to walking  _ soon _ …”

“Who are you people?” Xircon interrupted. “Where are you taking me? Where are Marluxia and Roxas?”

The group looked around at each other, slowing slightly.

“Interesting social circle, there,” The blonde said.

“I propose a new plan,” Ephemer said. “We find Marluxia  _ or  _ Roxas, and get one of  _ them _ to get this kid out of here.”

“Works for me,” Everyone else said.

“The real question is where Lulu’s gonna be in this sort of situation,” The blonde said. “He might be in the thick of it.”

Kairi stopped, then, prompting everyone else to stop and turn their attention forward.

There were more people there. Xircon didn’t recognize any of them, but one of them was dressed kind of like the pizza people, only without a mask.

“Uh,” One of them said. “That kid--”

“If you so much as breathe on him I’ll rip your guts out,” The blonde said. “Hi, Brain.”

“Hi, Elrena,” Brain said. “Hi, Ephemer. How’s things?”

“Eh, could be better,” She said. “Have you seen Lauriam’s Nobody around?”

“Not… recently,” Brain said. “Not today.”

“Shit,” She said. “Alright. Let’s go, everyone.”

“Have I met these people before?” Kairi wondered aloud as the groups began to slide past each other.

“I don’t know how we would know that,” Ephemer said.

“Well,  _ I _ wouldn’t know,” Kairi said. “I’ve got amnesia.”

“Mm, she  _ does _ , though,” Elrena said. “I heard about that.”

“You do look familiar,” One of the people said. Most of the others nodded.

One of them stepped forward. “Kairi?”

Something in her mind slotted into place, and Kairi blinked. “Grandma?”

“Do you wanna… hang out with them?” Strelitzia asked.

Kairi nodded, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

“Alright,” Elrena said. “I don’t see a problem with that. Take care of them, then.”

“Shouldn’t you be asking  _ us _ to take care of  _ her _ ?” Brain said. “She’s a  _ kid _ .”

“And she’s probably more competent than you, so can it,” Elrena said.

The two groups went their separate ways.

~*~*~*~

The group eventually managed to restrain Ira, although there were a few close calls in the process.

“You were my union leader once, you know,” Marluxia said almost idly, kneeling down in front of the other man. “Or…  _ was _ he me? I suppose that part doesn’t really matter. You had the trust of countless children, and you chose to do this with it. And even with them dead, you chose to kill new children. Even at my worst, I would not have done  _ that _ . So why did you?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Ira said.

“I probably wouldn’t,” Marluxia agreed. “It’s probably too horrible for its victims to fathom.”

“Get his ass,” Riku said.

“Language,” Marluxia hummed.

“Fuck you,” Riku said.

“For the sake of the timeline,” Ira said. “I’ve only done what I must.”

Marluxia looked at him, face falling ever so slightly. “You really believe that, huh.”

“I told you that you wouldn’t understand,” Ira said.

“And I don’t,” Marluxia said. “But I do know that if Xircon dies today, _ so do you _ .”

“Let’s go find your son, that you have now,” Namine said. “I’d like to see what’s so different about him from me that you’re not horrible to him.”

“I’m going to have to figure out an actual apology for you,” Marluxia said. “Unfortunately, I’m not sure now is a good time, so I think I will have to get back to you on that.”

“Acceptable, but you owe me,” Namine said.

~*~*~*~

Luxu put his guns away, turning to face Invi as she appeared. “What have you been up to?” He asked genially.

“Finding this castle’s stock of potions after two of  _ your pieces _ went rogue and tried to kill me,” Invi said. “What have  _ you _ been up to?”

“Taking care of a faulty pawn.” He shrugged. “I’ve still got another to deal with. Marluxia was never meant to bond with Vexen’s work.”

“Great, uh,” Invi said. “Are any of these people also called Luxord?”

“No, why would you-- Oh, for  _ fuck’s _ sake.” Luxu groaned, putting a hand to his forehead. “Don’t tell me I have to replace  _ Luxord _ , too.”

Invi bit her lip. “You  _ might _ ,” She said.

“This… is going to take some time,” Luxu said. “We’ll figure this out.”

“Will we, Luxu?” Invi asked. “Will we? Because, and I’m not trying to be a downer here, this kind of fucking sucks, dude. I’m having a bit of trouble seeing the salvagable parts of this.”

“We’ll  _ get it _ ,” Luxu said. “We’ve got to, don’t we?”

“I don’t know,” Invi said. “I’m… starting to think Ava might have been right.”

“She  _ can’t _ have been,” Luxu said. “After everything we’ve done, we  _ can’t _ be wrong. We can’t afford to have been.”

“But if she was--”

“She  _ wasn’t _ !”

“But  _ if _ she was!”

The two of them glared at each other for a long moment.

“ _ If _ she was,” Invi said again. “What would that mean for us?”

~*~*~*~

Most of the group stopped when Xemnas appeared in front of them.

Most.

“Xemnas!” Sora said, rolling to the front.

“Sora,” Xemnas said, and his voice was sad.

“So,” Sora said, feeling a lump beginning to form in his throat. “Are you-- I mean, are you really--”

“We don’t have to fight, Sora,” Xemnas said. “I don’t  _ want _ to fight you. We can put this all--”

“Xemnas, what  _ is _ Organization XIII?” Sora asked. “What is it supposed to be for?”

Xemnas took a step back. “The Organization…” He said. “I-- Well, it--”

“It sounds like bad guy stuff, now that you try to say it out loud?” Riku said.

“He told me it was to get hearts,” Roxas said. “The rest of the Organization said so, too. Only… I’ve  _ been _ in my heart now, so that can’t be it. He’s-- Well, I mean, he’s  _ Xemnas _ . He’d  _ know  _ we had them.”

Xemnas looked away, and Sora knew Roxas had been right.

“Why would you  _ lie _ ?” Sora asked. “Why would you lie to all these people?”

Xemnas did not turn back to him.

Sora began to approach, but he stopped when Marluxia stepped out in front of him.

“Could you really not have found allies to your cause by telling the truth?” He asked. “What did you intend to  _ do _ with us? I never believed the Organization was meant as an altruistic cause, even when I thought you intended to give us hearts. So what  _ did  _ you want? What did you intend to do to us?”

Xemnas looked at Marluxia, expression hardening.  _ Marluxia _ was someone he had kept an emotional distance from, who he had maintained a barrier against for years. Marluxia was someone he could say this to.

“I would have coated your hearts in darkness,” He said. “I would have given you an artificial purity, and with it forged an ultimate control over the most powerful force in our universe, and I would have made it give me what I desired.”

“Kingdom Hearts,” Namine breathed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Another comic by the same amazing artist as the previous one](https://aimeelouart.tumblr.com/post/616310015896256512/more-comic-practice-featuring-my-favorite-part)! It features some prime facial expressions
> 
> I almost went to bed at a reasonable hour but I simply Did Not Vibe with sleeping bc I got distracted trying to figure out how old everyone is in Hollow Knight. Is the knight a child or does the fanbase simply act like they are bc they're short + mute? undetermined


	97. I Swear This Is Better Than It Looks

Sora, Xion, Roxas, and Riku summoned their keyblades.

Xemnas took another step back, summoning two beams of light into his palms.

Marluxia spun his scythe into his hand and charged, no longer seeming to care about his ultimate fate.

Maybe it was because he knew Lauriam would come back, like a black box holding his memories to return the favor he had so unwittingly performed for his Somebody for so many centuries.

Maybe he was just too angry to consider the possibility of dying.

The pair clashed, longer than anyone had any right to, and Marluxia was forced to confront the extant form of living when a beam of light pierced his chest.

“Oh,” He wheezed. “Oh, no.”

“Come  _ on _ !” Namine complained. “How’s he supposed to apologize with  _ that _ there?”

The beams disappeared, and Xemnas caught Marluxia by his upper arms.

“Let go,” Marluxia said. “Don’t touch me.”

“You’d rather fall?” Xemnas asked, voice filled with a careful neutrality that Sora had never heard from him before.

Marluxia nodded.

Xemnas let go.

Under ordinary circumstances, the room would have been filled by the quiet sound of a man hitting the floor.

After all, under ordinary circumstances, he would have reached it.

Everyone else in the room looked around at each other.

“Uh,” Xion said. “Do we avenge him, now? Is that what happens?”

“Well, he fought Ira with us,” Mickey said. “I think we should.”

“Let me,” Sora said quietly. “The rest of you go find Luxu.”

“Sora, are you sure?” Goofy asked.

“He wouldn’t say it if he wasn’t, but…” Namine trailed off, glancing to where Xemnas still watched them.

“Just  _ go _ ,” Sora said. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

Most of the group accepted this, and left.

Riku stayed.

“Riku, please,” Sora said.

“I left you once, back when the islands fell to darkness,” Riku said. “Never again.”

“Alright,” Sora said.

They turned to Xemnas.

“There’s no getting out of this, is there?” Xemnas sighed.

“It doesn’t look like it,” Sora said.

~*~*~*~

Much to Xion’s disappointment, her party was surprised by Xigbar and Invi.

“I think that’s enough of that,” Xigbar said. “I mean,  _ really _ . Namine, Aeleus, and Goofy have  _ no _ business in the middle of a Keyblade War, don’t you think?”

Roxas and Xion moved forward in unison, brandishing their keys.

“Don’t make empty threats,” Mickey said.

“Threats?” Xigbar raised an eyebrow, before turning to Invi. “Was I making a threat?”

“Eh, a little bit.” Invi shrugged.

“I can work with that,” He said.

Then he moved very quickly, and there was a keyblade under Aeleus’ chin. It looked suspiciously like his guns.

“No backups for you,” He said. “Why don’t  _ you _ ask everyone to step back?”

“Alright,” Aeleus said. “Everyone, please get back. This could get ugly.”

“Luxu, I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Invi said.

Aeleus closed his eyes.

“Now--” Xigbar said, but he had to stop when a large rock hit him in the chest and launched him into the wall.

“ _ Now _ , everyone’s paying attention,” Aeleus said.

“What the  _ fuck _ ,” Invi said. “What does that even  _ mean _ ?”

Roxas and Xion looked at each other, eyes widening. “Oh,” They said.

It would be accurate, really, to say that that was when the fight began.

~*~*~*~

Something had been bothering Xemnas, when it came to Riku. He’d tried to ignore it, and in the middle of a fight  _ wasn’t _ the best time to be thinking about it, but the thought kept scratching at the back of his mind.

Something about Riku was simply, unsettlingly familiar.

The realization clicked in Xemnas’ mind, and he found himself knocked backwards by Sora’s keyblade, forced to devote a few precious seconds to reorienting himself before starting to figure out what to  _ do _ .

Xemnas’ Heartless dreamed within the form of Sora’s best friend, and he was  _ desperately _ trying to wake up.

He didn’t know if something needed to be done about that. His Heartless might be resting benignly, like the hearts that slept within Roxas and Xion. In fact, he wanted to hope that was the case.

But he didn’t trust himself that much.

He knew he should probably do  _ something _ , but none of his options were really… pleasant. Sora certainly wouldn’t like any of them.

Xemnas shifted his attack pattern, shooting a mental apology to his friend.

The easiest way to remove a heart from a body was to  _ be _ a heart. A Heartless, more precisely. The second easiest way was to wield a keyblade.

Xemnas filled neither of these conditions.

Sora filled both.

Xemnas tried not to think about what he was doing. If he didn’t think about it, he wouldn’t have to feel guilty until it was done.

He stepped behind Riku, grabbing the back of his neck.

“Riku!” Sora yelled.

Riku yelled in surprise, flipping his keyblade around in his hand and trying to stab Xemnas.

“You do not walk alone,” Xemnas said, voice low. “I can feel you carrying the heart that was once mine.”

“What’s it to  _ you _ ?” Riku spat.

“This,” Xemnas said, and whirled, positioning Riku in the way of Sora’s charge.

~*~*~*~

No.

No.

Sora couldn’t breathe.

He--

No!

~*~*~*~

Kairi stiffened.

Then, she bolted, leading the people around her towards her two best friends.

She could tell something was wrong.

She couldn’t tell what, just yet, and she wasn’t even sure she wanted to know. But she  _ had _ to. She had to know. She had to help them.

She kicked open a door, and stopped.

Sora’s keyblade.

Through Riku’s chest.

A few steps away, Xemnas.

“How could you!” She yelled, summoning her keyblade and charging at Xemnas.

She had him on the defensive.

That was good.

It wasn’t good enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise Kairi is not going to kill Xemnas and also that Riku is fine
> 
> anyways its <strike>early</strike> late g'niiiight


	98. I Am The Gentle Autumn Rain

DiZ stood by his machine outside, and glanced up at the balcony nervously. He’d seen countless timelines, in the skies of the Realm of Darkness, and he knew about what was supposed to happen.

Xemnas should have been on the balcony.

The king should have been approaching DiZ, now, and he should have been revealing his identity. He was considering just powering on his machine anyways, even though no one was there, just to get it  _ done _ .

Then again, Sora should have slept. Riku should have worked through the whole  _ possession _ thing. None of this was going how it was supposed to be.

A man in a bear mask appeared in front of him.

“Who are you?” DiZ asked.

“I could ask you the same,” The man said.

“You are not meant to be here and now,” DiZ said. “Your very presence here throws off every calculation, every prediction, every analog one could use.” He paused. “Besides which, I  _ did _ ask.”

“I  _ know _ ,” The man groaned.

“Who are you?” DiZ asked again. “And why are you here?”

“My name is Aced,” The man said. “A man I knew when he was a boy got reincarnated and decided that ruining the timeline was a fun way to spend a decade. And yourself?”

“I am here because I must be,” DiZ said. “My name is of no consequence, now.”

“Rude,” Aced muttered. “Alright, so what do you do today?”

“This,” DiZ said, and flipped on his machine.

Aced stiffened as the beam reached up, connecting with Kingdom Hearts and beginning the process DiZ had so painstakingly worked to perfect.

It wouldn’t work, of course, but it was the attempt that counted.

“... Okay,” Aced said. “I’m gonna… go, now. Maybe the world I sent my cousin to is doing well, even if he’s…  _ probably _ dead by now.”

DiZ did not acknowledge the statement.

“You’re weird,” Aced said.

~*~*~*~

When the keyblade came out of Riku’s chest, he sat down.

His head was ringing with a silence he didn’t understand.

It was deafening.

Even as he knew other sounds surrounded him, he could not bring himself to hear.

His face was… feeling something.

He blinked, trying to draw the world back to him.

Then, he blinked again.

“Riku,  _ talk to me _ !”

Sora’s voice was desperate, and he was crying when Riku looked down at him.

Down?

Riku was sitting on the floor, why was--

Sora wasn’t in his chair.

“Sora,” Riku said. “What are you doing? Why are you--”

Sora’s hands moved from Riku’s face, arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him into a tight, desperate hug. He was shaking.

Riku managed, awkwardly, to maneuver them so Sora was back in his chair.

Other sounds began to filter through his head. Kairi was here, yelling something, and there were the sounds of heavy collisions and deflections and  _ combat _ .

“Sora, it’s not safe right now,” Riku said.

“I  _ know _ ,” Sora said. “But I-- I--”

“You haven’t done anything wrong.”

“It was  _ my _ keyblade!” Sora said. “I-- How did--”

“We can figure that out later,” Riku said. “Alright?”

Sora let him go. “You,” He said, and his voice was firmer than Riku had heard before. “You are going to  _ sit down _ .”

“I--”

“You’re completely out of it,” Sora said. “You just got  _ stabbed _ . You are taking a break, Riku, because I--”

_ I don’t want to stab you again _ , his face said.

So Riku sat down, against a nearby wall, and tried to figure out why he felt so  _ weird _ . He knew it was probably a keyblade thing, on account of having been stabbed in the chest with one, but he didn’t really have anything else to go off of.

“Any ideas?” He muttered.

No answer.

Not even the slightest shift towards one.

It was almost as if…

Ansem was gone.

~*~*~*~

Ira looked up from where he’d been restrained into an unfamiliar face.

“And what did  _ you _ want?” He asked testily.

“I’ll undo your ropes if you’ll leave this place and these people,” Luxord said. “You must be uncomfortable by now.”

“Who are you?” Ira demanded.

“Nobody of consequence.” Luxord smirked. “Do you accept the end of this game?”

“This-- This  _ can’t _ be the end,” Ira said. “The timeline--”

“Your master saw the same timeline as every other version of himself,” Luxord interrupted. “Right up to the point where the eye shattered and left fate to toss its dice once more. In  _ this _ timeline, things are different. The hero has every ounce of love and power you expected of him, true, but he has been forced to be more than you ever dreamed he could be just to be seen that way. He has taken a different path, and brought a different past to this present. You  _ lose _ , Foreteller. You  _ all _ lose.”

Ira looked at Luxord, dumbfounded. When he spoke again, he was quieter. “Who  _ are _ you?”

“A Nobody of  _ great _ consequence, it seems,” Luxord said. “A reflection of a child who grew up."

“That doesn’t answer--”

“I owe you nothing,” Luxord said, shuffling a deck of cards between his hands idly. “ _ He _ may have lost a thousand years ago, but he paid that due in the form of his heart already, and  _ you _ lose now. You are the one who owes, Foreteller Ira. Pay.”

He pulled a card from the deck at random, and examined it.

“You’re not the only person here who owes the other nothing,” Ira said.

Luxord sighed. “I was hoping you  _ wouldn’t _ say that. How unfortunate.”

He turned and walked away, leaving the room empty as he tucked his card back into its deck and the empty ropes fell to the floor.

~*~*~*~

Xemnas staggered backwards, the edges of him beginning to blur and evaporate. “Oh, no,” He muttered.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sora asked.

“I’ve…” Xemnas said. “I’ve been taken down by the keyblade’s chosen hero. I’m…”

“Stop that,” Sora said.

“No, it’s too late for me.” Xemnas knelt, no longer able to keep standing. “I’ll-- I’ll never recover.”

“Xemnas, seriously,” Sora said. “It doesn’t have to-- You don’t have to--”

“Should have thought about that before striking me down,” Xemnas said, managing a slight laugh.

“You started it,” Sora said.

“I suppose.”

Sora rolled up to where Xemnas knelt. “This isn’t over,” He said. “You know that, right?”

“You’re right,” Xemnas said. “It’s not. There’s still the matter of--” He winced, a stabbing pain of something Sora couldn’t identify asserting itself inside his chest. “Xigbar,” He breathed.

“What?”

Xemnas dissipated.

Kairi stepped up, putting a hand on Sora’s shoulder. “Come on,” She said. “Let’s find the others.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Hey, this is starting to sound a little familiar...](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422001/chapters/51093457)
> 
> This week closes out on... a bit of a bummer, to put it mildly. I wrote that scene back in chapter 33, and then my thought process was literally just "heh, this is a cute sce-- oh shit Xemnas has to die". Needless to say, everyone's getting therapy after this. Vanitas is gonna have bully Sora into Merlins office but he'll get in there and talk about his feelings, damnit.
> 
> Next week is, uh... *checks* a bit lighter? I warned about the tone shift for a reason, but constant tones are Not My Thing


	99. Now for something completely different

To say that Invi was having a bad day was, well, an  _ understatement _ .

In fact, if someone were to say “Invi is having a bad day today”, they would probably get an award for how much of an understatement that was.

No one  _ did _ say it. They were all, of course, caught up in their own business, which was largely “somehow making Invi’s day even worse, thank you.”

It didn’t help that while, yes, some tricks had been lost to the ages, a great deal more had been  _ found _ . Whatever system had eventually supplanted them seemed to have encouraged a great deal of study.

She was almost jealous, except for the part where she was inconvenienced.

Briefly, as she dodged the legs of  _ that chair _ , she wondered where the others were. Ira, Gula, and Aced  _ should _ have been with them. She and Luxu should not have been fighting alone.

She huffed, dropping into a slide and knocking the legs of the chair off balance. Gula was probably cooking. He was almost one dimensional like that, sometimes.

The girl-- Namine, was it?-- yelped as the spider chair began to tip, and a pang of guilt hit Invi’s heart. The poor girl couldn’t walk, after all, and she might get trampled in the fray.

The chair hit the floor, and Namine spilled out of it. “Fuck!” She declared on impact.

For its own part, the chair was kicking wildly, perhaps in an attempt to right itself. Namine pulled herself up to lay on what had once been the side of the thing, and started using her arms to maneuver its flailing towards Invi.

Invi’s guilt was replaced, then, with a very similar feeling.

Regret.

She backed up next to her brother, batting ineffectually at the encroaching limbs.

“Why would you bring it over here?” Luxu groaned.

“Not much else to pick from, in the way of directions, I--” Invi cut off when she felt the intrusion at the edge of her memory.

This was… well, it was  _ like _ her own power, but in a way that terrified her. It was more raw. Stronger, but less precise. Simply being  **looked at by this could damage her.**

**“Invi?”**

**“Cover me,” She squeaked.**

**She tried to push the invasion out of her heart, her mind, her memory, but she was a lone woman against a tank and, narratively, she wasn’t sure who was the good guy anymore.**

**She needed to know who was there. (Tough shit.)**

**She needed to know what they were doing. (Stopping you.)**

**She needed to know why. (You know why.)**

**She could leave. She could leave and never come back and find a new life in whatever remained. (Will you?)**

**Would she?**

**Could she?**

**(You said you could.)**

**She knew.**

**She ** fell back, opening a corridor behind her.

“Invi!” Luxu’s voice was… hurt. Betrayed, even.

Invi wondered if that was how Ava had felt, when she’d realized what was wrong.

She wanted to say something to him. Really, she did. But what was there to say?

She stepped backwards into the corridor, firm in the knowledge that she would never, ever be forgiven.

~*~*~*~

The ground rose around Luxu, pinning him in place, and the rest of the room stopped to breathe.

Xion curled up against the neck of the Unversed she rode, and while she was completely still her shadow was beginning to distort as though it were being viewed through water. Roxas cocked his head, as though listening to something, and nodded, moving to pull himself onto the back of another one of the creatures.

“So, what are we going to do with him?” Mickey asked. “He’s not going to stay in there forever.”

“No, he’s not,” Ventus and Vanitas agreed. They glanced at each other, a little warily, as they spoke, but there was no further comment at that time.

“Got some ideas, then?” Aeleus asked.

“Yeah,” Vanitas said. “Let me kill him. That’s an idea.”

“I’d kinda like to hear his thought process, for whatever,” Ventus said. “Should be a laugh.”

“Do you… have any idea what’s going on right now?” Xion asked.

“Not a clue!” Ventus said brightly.

Most of the room looked between Xion and Vanitas.

“How did you--” Namine asked.

“That’s not important right now,” Xion said. “If it’s that important later, we can discuss it  _ then _ .”

“Ventus, what do you know about  _ Xigbar _ ?” Vanitas cut in.

“Braig’s Nobody,” Ventus said. “Claims to be my dad.”

Several people started choking.

“I-- Does that-- How are you--” Vanitas sputtered.

“I’ve had time to process this,” Ventus said.

“Fuck it,” Vanitas said, melting into the ground like a flood and roiling accross the floor to hang out underneath Namine’s still sideways chair. She turned off the legs.

“Since when can he do that?” Xion and Ventus muttered in unison.

A muffled “Fuck you” came from under the chair.

“Uh, everyone?” Goofy said, and gestured to Luxu.

“Right, he’s  _ there _ !” Namine said.

“I forgot about that part,” Aeleus breathed.

“ _ How _ did I get restrained by you people?” Luxu groaned. “Really, it’s embarrassing.”

“Hey,” Ventus said, offended.

“You weren’t involved in that, you’re exempt from this,” Luxu said.

The group looked around at each other, not sure what to do with the man who was still stuck in rocks and mostly insulting them.

Vanitas popped up from under Namine’s chair. “Just let me kill him,” He said.

“I dunno, I mean, he’s kinda stuck in there,” Aeleus said. “Doesn’t feel right to me.”

“ _ He _ would not hesitate, were you reversed,” Vanitas pointed out.

“We aren’t him,” Mickey said. “Nor do we want to be.”

“Cold,” Luxu laughed. “Seriously, breaking my heart over here!”

“We’re--” Vanitas began, but he cut off as the rock formation shattered, filling the room with dust.

“Aeleus!” Namine called.

“Hey, don’t look at  _ me _ !”

Ventus yelped, and when the dust cleared, the rest of the room saw him tucked under Luxu’s arm, squirming in the man’s grip.

“Ven!” Vanitas summoned his keyblade, but Luxu was already stepping backwards into a dark corridor.

It was too late.

~*~*~*~

“This is quite the surprise, you know.”

“This sequence is quite different from the average that they calculated for us.”

  
  
  
  


“Undoubtedly. Shall I drop  _ now _ , or not at all?”

“That’s up to you, Commander. The only variable at this point seems to be whether or not we can handle Luxu without you.”

  
  
  
  


“What of  _ his  _ allies?”

“The one that  _ hasn’t _ seen the error should be contained until further notice.”

  
  
  
  


“Playing risky.”

“I know.”

  
  
  
  


“… I have a plan. Engage.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Namine can say little a fuck. As A Treat


	100. Sir You Are Ruining The Magic Show Please Sit Down

“A thousand years of practice did you well, Luxu?”

“So you  _ have _ been paying attention, Luxord.” Luxu laughed. “I was starting to wonder, since you hadn’t shown up.”

“Much to determine, I’m afraid,” Luxord said. “And it takes  _ so _ much time to get those messages back.”

Luxu’s eyebrows drew down, and he dropped Ventus onto a bench. “What messages?”

“Oh?” Luxord gave him a challenging look. “You mean Mr. Know The Future wasn’t aware?”

Luxu summoned his keyblade. “Cut the bullshit, Luxord,” He said. “I’ve got better things to do than deal with you.”

“Do you?” Luxord asked, shuffling a deck of cards. Ventus squinted. When had he pulled them out? “I suppose I’ll have to make this quick.”

The men lunged at each other.

Ventus watched them for a little while, but he couldn’t really do much, so it got boring pretty quickly. He began to take stock of the rest of the hallway.

Benches. He could see three of them, including the one he was sitting on. They were spaced unevenly. He couldn’t figure out why.

Potted plant. The stark greenness of it was practically seering in comparison to the rest of the castle.

Rippling air.  _ Weird _ , yes, but so was everything ever. Could very conceivably just be a thing that happened sometimes.

That was it. This whole place was boring. He wanted to go home.

The rippling air resolved itself into someone…  _ maybe _ around the same age as Ventus? Perhaps older? He checked a strange device as Luxord and Xigbar slowed and turned to him.

“King of spades,” The man said, holding out his hand, and Luxord flipped him the card. The man looked at it, turning it over in his hand. “Hey, I guessed right.”

“You tend to,” Luxord agreed. “It would be impressive, if you weren’t so prone to cheating.”

The man shrugged, tucking the card into his pocket. Then, he withdrew a crossbow. “Now, here’s the tricky part,” He said. “No plan survives first contact with the enemy, of course, but I was  _ expecting _ a chance of surprise.”

“Should have known better, Yozora,” Luxu said. “You might as well just be transparent, as to why you’re here.”

“Ah, that,” Yozora waved the hand that wasn’t holding his crossbow dismissively. “I’m here for the Sortas.”

Luxu frowned. “I’d like to see you try.”

The crossbow nailed him between the eyes.

“Oh, is  _ that _ all?” Luxu laughed.

Ventus was beginning to think he should have just swapped out with Roxas and left earlier. He was also reasonably sure they wouldn’t have the chance anymore.

Yozora took a step back. “Right,” He muttered. “You’re like  _ him _ .”

“I don’t know why I didn’t do this a thousand years ago,” Luxu said, pulling the arrow out of his forehead. He was completely fine. “Would have saved me a few close calls.”

Yozora sighed, putting the crossbow away and pulling out his sword. “At least  _ this _ is treated to override that little  _ caveat _ ,” He said, running a finger along the flat of the blade.

“Fat chance,” Luxu laughed. “If you could do  _ that _ , it’d be on your arrows.”

“No, those are single use, though,” Yozora said. “Too expensive. Josh and Magia would never approve the cost. Still, when Luxord made contact with a predecessor of mine, they knew someone would probably have to deal with a Nobody in combat eventually. So, we’ve got this treatment now. For swords.”

“Noctis never mentioned  _ that _ ,” Luxord said.

Yozora shrugged. “There was always the chance you’d betray us. Never hurts to have an ace up your sleeve, right?”

Luxu looked between Luxord and Yozora, squinting suspiciously.

“Noctis looks like you, right?” Ventus asked.

“Yeah, a little bit,” Yozora said. “Uh, which one are you?”

“I saw him once,” Ventus lied.

“ _ What _ ?” All three adult men asked, various forms of surprise apparent on all of them.

“Yeah,” Ventus said, trying not to be too obviously making this up as he went along. “He said, uh, a whole bunch of shit was gonna go down once I reached terminal sibling capacity. I didn’t get it at the time, but I guess that’s now.”

“That’s not in the records at  _ all _ ,” Yozora muttered, pulling out the device he’d been looking at earlier and swiping through it, apparently attempting to find something to confirm Ventus’ story.

Ventus shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine, dude.”

Luxu moved to recollect him, but Yozora and Luxord moved to stop him. In response, Luxu raised his keyblade, moving it back and forth to point at the other two men and leaving all three in a standoff.

~*~*~*~

“You know,” Lea said. “I kinda thought there would be more people here. Ienzo  _ did _ say there were.”

“They’re probably doing something else,” Aqua said. “I’m the only person here who really wants to sit around with the guy in the coma.”

“I mean, I guess,” Lea said. “Still, though, it’s a  _ little _ weird we haven’t seen any of them, right? Not even for a little bit. No one’s even popped in to offer to bring you dinner.”

“That…  _ is _ a little weird,” Aqua allowed. “Still, I’m sure there’s a decent reason…”

“I’m gonna go find someone,” Lea said. “This is freaking me out, which is the last thing I need right now.”

~*~*~*~

“Sora.”

Sora wiped his eyes and looked up at Kairi and Riku.

“We should move, soon,” Kairi said. “I’d ask if you wanted to head back early, but we don’t have any way to do that just now.”

“The others will want to know we’re okay,” Riku said.

Sora looked past Kairi. “Who are…?”

“My grandmother and some of her friends came,” Kairi said. “I can introduce you, while we look for everyone else.”

“That sounds…” Sora said. “That sounds nice.”

~*~*~*~

“Alright,” Luxu said. “Let’s not be  _ too _ hasty when it comes to murder. I’m sure we can work this out like adults.”

Yozora and Luxord glanced at each other.

“He thinks he needs us for something, then,” Yozora said.

“Most likely,” Luxord agreed. “His poker face is not nearly so good as he believes it to be. Even  _ Xemnas _ could tell, at times. When he got  _ too _ bold.”

Luxu growled.

“I’d rather take my chances on him, really,” Yozora said. “What do you think, Luxord? You for pushing forward?”

Luxord glanced to Ventus.

Yozora followed the look. “Is that kid one of the…”

“If he’s not, he’s sharing with one.” Luxord pulled a card from a deck.

Luxu lunged.

Yozora caught the card as it flew past his opponent, twirling it in his fingers and withdrawing a strange jar from its face. “The hell is this supposed to do?” He muttered. Then he shrugged, tucking the jar against his chest and rolling around the fight to stop next to Ventus.

Ventus scooted away on the bench.

“Hey, don’t worry,” Yozora said, clearly trying to be calming, but not really doing a good job at it. He held the card out to Ventus. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just need you to hold this.”

Ventus looked between Yozora and the card. “Roxas knows what those do,” He said.

“Fair enough,” Yozora said, and tapped the card against the boy’s temple before opening the jar and tucking the card inside it.

The card shrunk.

Yozora looked at it for a moment, then added the other card Luxord had given him and sealed the jar.

He looked back at the fight. Luxord was losing, but it was happening slow enough that Yozora figured it was better for him to carry on with the plan than get involved.

He had enough to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yozora is here and his deal in this au is explained [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22902355) if you haven't read it already


	101. Hearts? Yes. Murders? No.

Isa watched Xemnas’ Somebody as the other man wandered around the room, looking at various machines without seeming to see any of them.

“That’s a toaster,” He said finally.

“What-- Oh.” The man put his hand to his head. “You’re… which one are you? I’m all…”

“Which one are  _ you _ ?”

“That’s the question, huh?” The man leaned against a counter. “I think I’ve got…  _ five _ sets of memories? Each with its own sense of identity. Some of them are  _ overlapping _ . Are we supposed to be the same age?”

“You know, I stopped keeping track when I got supplanted by someone who thought he was meant to be me,” Isa said. “I don’t think ‘supposed to’ really applies to any aspect of my life right now.”

The man nodded absently. “I… need some time,” He said. “I need to sort through all this. I think…”

“Take your time,” Isa said. “But keep in mind that if you decide to start trouble I will not hesitate to stop it.”

“Right…” The man said.

They were silent, for a while.

The man put a hand to his chest. “There're three hearts in here,” He said. “That might be the problem.”

“I’m sorry, there’s  _ what _ ?” Isa asked. Saix’s memories nudged him with the reminder of Roxas’ situation, but Isa mentally shoved that aside with the reminder that Roxas had only been sharing with Ven.

“Mine and two others,” The man said. “Mine’s… coated in something, I guess is the word for it. I didn’t remember being Terra before, I-- I guess I’m Terra, but that doesn’t fit right now.”

“That’s a whole lot,” Isa said. “So do you want to get the other hearts  _ out _ , or just clean off yours?”

“I wouldn’t trust the old man as far as a child could throw this castle,” Not-Terra said. “As for Xemnas…”

“He gets to sit in the metaphorical corner and think about what he’s done,” Isa said.

“Yeah, that’s what he said, too,” Not-Terra said.

“Mm,” Isa said. “So our first priority is some spring cleaning in  _ your _ heart.”

“‘Our’?”

“Well, I’m here,” Isa said. “I don’t have anything else to do right now. I might as well try to help.”

“I… appreciate that,” Not-Terra said. “Thank you.”

~*~*~*~

“Where are we going?” Ventus asked. He was getting awfully sick of being carried around, and he figured an answer was the least of what he was owed. “Why’d you have to put me through two layers of confinement first?”

“We’re finding Sora, and then figuring out who needs to do what,” Yozora said. “I’d have  _ rathered _ have someone who knows this world and had something to do with the calculations we planned around guiding me at this phase, but I didn’t want to stick around and wait to see if Luxord got a lucky break.”

Ventus groaned. “Not  _ another _ timeline assumption.”

“Hey, I’m running off averages,” Yozora said. “We never assumed  _ any _ timeline would run  _ exactly  _ that way, let alone this one specifically. We just know what happens a lot.”

Conversation cut off as they found themselves facing another group of people.

Ventus and Yozora looked at each other. The other group exchanged looks of its own.

“Ven?” One of them asked. “Why are you so young?”

“Time stop coma extravaganza,” Ventus said. “Do I know you?”

Yozora checked his device. “I don’t have averages for all of these people,” He said, nerves creeping into his voice. “I’m not sure they all usually  _ exist, _ let alone get involved in this.”

“Some of us went to school with him when we were kids,” Another one of the strangers said.

Yozora glanced at his device again. “Usually a time traveller,” He muttered. “Of  _ course  _ I got born in the weirdest timeline.”

“Oh, I  _ sincerely _ doubt this is the  _ weirdest _ timeline,” An old woman said. “That would take a  _ lot _ of work.”

“Time out,” Ventus said. “I am in some serious need of introductions,  _ please _ .”

~*~*~*~

“Okay, now that that’s out of the way,” Sean said. “Yozora, why are you carrying Ven around like a sack of potatoes?”

“I would  _ never  _ carry a sack of potatoes around like this,” Yozora said. “They are open on one end, and also full of potatoes, which can spill.”

“He’s got a point,” Ventus said.

“Why are you carrying Ven, though?” Brain pushed.

“Better than leaving him with Luxu.”

Everyone considered that.

“Yeah, fair enough,” Bertie said.

“Uh, young man,” Nonaya said. “Yozora. How old are you? What are you doing?”

Yozora shrugged. “16-ish, according to theory,” He said. “Calculated averages say I’m supposed to save Sora somehow, but they also say I’m not usually working from them, so…”

“So you’re just here on principle,” Sora said. “Well, the more the merrier, as long as you’re not trying to hurt anyone I care about.”

“We’ll try to avoid that,” Yozora said.

“Okay, I’ll bite,” Riku said. “Have you shown up before? Like, have we met, or am I still out of it from Ansem’s surprise yeet?”

“I…  _ shouldn’t _ have,” Yozora said. “But I’ll admit I can’t know for sure.”

“He does kinda look like you,” Kairi said. “I mean, different in a few distinct ways, but…”

“Kairi, if you’re about to suggest that this is my long lost twin brother who somehow ended up with different parents--”

“It could happen!” Kairi protested. “How did you say your parents found you again?”

“Now is  _ not _ the time--”

“We have a lull--”

“Riku’s right,” Yozora said. “There’s still more to do.”

“First priority is getting Ven mobile in his own right,” Sean said. Sora nodded.

“I can probably turn my keyblade into a chair until Roxas wakes up or we figure out how to get me back into my own body,” Ventus pointed out.

Yozora considered that, and set Ventus on a bench. Ventus, with some input on the shape itself, summoned his keyblade and transformed it into a chair before climbing into it.

“Second priority is meeting up with the rest of our party,” Riku said. “Roxas was with them, so they’ll be worried about where Ven is.”

“Right, okay,” Kairi said. “So you  _ weren’t _ aware that our side’s version of the thousand years ago squad was running around here.”

“They’re what.” Riku and Sora turned to her.

“Yeah,” Igni said.

“When we bumped into each other, Kairi was with Ephemer, Elrena, and some other people I didn’t know,” Brain said.

“Their names are Strelitzia and Xircon,” Kairi said. “And Xircon is not equipped for this situation at all.”

“Oh,  _ that _ was Strelitzia?” Brain said. “Okay.  _ Finally _ met her. Only took a thousand years and some reincarnation.”

“Also we will be needing to include Dawn in whatever funerary rites we end up holding,” Kairi half-mumbled. “And Demyx and Saix, for their contributions.”

“Kairi, I think you’re gonna need therapy after this,” Sora said.

“I am going to need  _ so much _ therapy,” Kairi agreed. “We’re  _ all _ going to need a truly ridiculous amount of therapy, and I can only hope Merlin has at least one acquaintance who is also capable of providing it, because otherwise we will overwhelm him.”

“Oh, definitely,” Astrid said. “Let’s go see if we can meet up with another one of the groups that’s running around here who we are apparently friends with. Like Sora said, the more the merrier.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yozora: so how DID your parents find you  
Riku: I was a gift  
Yozora: and how long did THAT last  
Riku: why you little--


	102. It's not really surprising how ready everyone here is to hit things

Dyme awoke to a sword being pointed into his face.

“Lovely,” He groaned. “Am I in trouble still?”

“Kushana, he materialized out of thin air, I’d  _ like _ to study that.”

Dyme’s eyes followed the sound to the woman in blue, who had folded her arms.

“I’m sure you would,” The person who was pointing the sword at him and was probably named Kushana said. “But trust me. Mysteriously appearing people are never a good sign.”

“Heh,” Dyme said. “You look kinda like Miss Lisa.”

“I don’t know who that is and I do not want to,” Kushana declared.

“Cool, okay,” Dyme said. “I’d like to go now, if that’s all the same. I’m coming out of a 1000 year bout of nonexistence and there are some people I need to talk to.”

“Who are you, why are you here, who are you going to see?” Kushana demanded.

Dyme considered trying to not answer those questions, but the sword made a compelling argument.

“My name is Dyme,” He said. “A thousand years ago, I was a refugee from a war when the giant warriors appeared and a… a  _ right bastard _ offered me a walking, talking black box. I wasn’t as grown as I thought I was, and I accepted.”

“That’s not an answer,” A man in the corner of the room said.

“It’s what I’ve got,” Dyme said. “Anyways, I’m here now because that black box’s destruction brought me back to where I took that offer, and the people I need to talk to are… friends of friends, who might be able to help me with a project that I sincerely doubt any of you will see anything of, because it’s very far away and I don’t want to be here anymore. Is that good? Does that work?”

“What project?” Kushana asked.

Dyme sighed. “Black box made a friend. I want to do something nice for her.”

“I think he’s telling the truth,” The woman in blue said.

“Of course you do, you trusted  _ us _ ,” Kushana said.

“And I was right.”

“She’s got you there,” The man said.

Kushana sighed and withdrew her sword. “Get lost,” She said.

“Plan on it,” Dyme agreed.

~*~*~*~

“So, besides the toaster, do you know what anything in here does?” Not-Terra asked.

Isa paused, looking around. “That’s a coffee machine,” He offered.

“Ah,” Not-Terra said. “So no.”

“I literally just told you what something that was not the toaster did,” Isa said.

“But you don’t know if anything here can help.”

“Shut up,” Isa snorted. “Maybe all you need is a good cup of coffee.”

“I sincerely doubt that the secret to restoring the equilibrium to my sense of self is a common stimulant.” Not-Terra crossed his arms.

There was a pause.

Not-Terra poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip.

“How is it?” Isa asked.

“Not that good,” Not-Terra decided. “Any other ideas?”

It was at that point that the door opened, announcing Even’s return with a plate full of microwave meal.

“Hi,” Isa said.

Not-Terra waved awkwardly.

“This is a lot, actually,” Even said. “I think I  _ will _ be eating somewhere else, actually.”

“No, wait,” Isa said. “We need to know what all these machines do.”

“No you do not,” Even said.

“I believe I am possessed,” Not-Terra said. “It is not a pleasant experience, I assure you.”

“We can fix it later, I  _ seriously _ need to eat lunch,” Even said, walking out and closing the door behind him.

Not-Terra looked at Isa.

Isa looked back at him. “That could have gone better.”

“Could it have?”

They considered that.

“No,” Isa said. “Now that you mention it, probably not.”

“I will be pushing random buttons hoping for something to happen,” Not-Terra decided.

“Weren’t you an apprentice here?” Isa asked, managing to haul Not-Terra’s arm away from the nearest control board. “Shouldn’t you have some idea how these things work?”

“It has been ten years and I have two other hearts fighting over every aspect of my perception and faculties at the moment, so… No. Not really.” Not-Terra started trying to pry Isa off of his arm, but Isa’s body was trained from years of Saix wielding a claymore sized comparably to Lexaeus’ axe, while Xemnas had spent that time using much lighter weapons, so it didn’t work very well.

“Here’s a crazy idea,” Isa said around the fact that Not-Terra had opted to start pushing on his face. “You’ve got a keyblade, right?”

“Yes.” Not-Terra summoned the blade, but promptly dropped it in surprise at the amount of suspiciously dark probably-mud dripping off of it. It hit the floor with more of a squelch than a clatter.

“Gross,” Both men decided.

The door opened again, revealing Ienzo. “Hey what’s going on in-- Oh, gross.”

“Yeah, do you have, like, a towel or something?” Isa asked. “I think a towel would be lovely.”

“This would be easier if you let go of my arm,” Not-Terra said.

“Will you promise not to try and push random buttons again?” Isa asked.

Ienzo paled.

“I promise I will not push the buttons with reckless abandon,” Not-Terra sighed.

Isa let go of his arm.

“A towel would be quite helpful,” Not-Terra added, nodding to Ienzo.

“… Right,” Ienzo said. “I’ll just… get that……”

He ducked out of the room.

~*~*~*~

“Fuck it,” Elrena said. “ _ I’ll _ take Xircon back to the Garden. I want revenge as much as you two do, but  _ somebody’s _ gotta and I can tell it’s not going to be either of you.”

“What about Marluxia?” Xircon asked.

“We’ll figure something out,” Ephemer said, extending a pinkie finger. “Promises.”

Xircon looked at Ephemer in blatant confusion for a few moments before taking a firm hold of the man’s finger for a solid five seconds. Then he followed Elrena through the corridor.

“No one ever taught that kid how to pinkie promise,” Ephemer breathed.

“We can address the deficits in his education when we have revenge,” Strelitzia said. “In the meantime, Luxu’s around here somewhere. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a heart full of rage and a hand full of keyblade. Let’s go.”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself.” Ephemer grinned, the boy he once had been showing through on his face.

~*~*~*~

Vanitas oozed out of the ground next to where Ven’s keychair was floating. “Don’t do that,” He said, smacking his brother upside the head.

“I’m telling Aqua you hit me,” Ven said.

“No,” Vanitas said, leaning over. “Here, you can hit me back.”

“We don’t have time for this,” Riku said.

“No, this is important,” Sora assured him.

Kairi and Namine nodded.

“It’s ritual,” Kairi said.

Riku sighed. “You people, sometimes.”

Yozora was looking at Riku with an expression of the oddest temptation.

“Seriously,” Riku said. “We have to keep moving. We’ve got a war to end, you kn-- Hey!”

“You can hit me back,” Yozora said, withdrawing his arm.

Riku sighed, shoving Yozora. “Can we beat the boss now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that I think everyone who had an actual role in the Chanukah special is officially introduced. Dyme actually had a major part and a stronger connection to the world he's in in his scene here in my first ever kh fic (which I have posted none of and am not sure I will ever finish but helped me establish a lot of my personal canon that's been used in this series). I might try and rewrite that fic sometime, but better. When I have less tabs of google docs open on my browser.
> 
> Also I finished + posted Larxene's Therapy Diary because what else am I going to do with my life? Go on walks?? Legitimately unrealistic.


	103. Oh shit these people have issues

“Fancy meeting you here, ass hat,” Strelitzia said.

Luxu turned. “Look,” He said. “This is going poorly enough. Do we have to do this?”

“ _ I’m _ sorry.” Strelitzia summoned her keyblade and rolled her eyes. “Is it going as poorly as  _ my _ day did that time you  _ killed _ me?”

“Please, you didn’t  _ die _ .”

“Eh, debatable,” She said. “You’re definitely gonna, though.”

“Come on,” Luxu said. “You don’t  _ really _ think you can kill me, do you?”

“Bet,” Strelitzia said, and charged.

Their keyblades clashed together, the two of them growling and glaring and pushing and trying to brute force their ways past the others' defenses.

Luxu stiffened involuntarily, remembering Strelitzia hadn’t been alone the last time he’d seen her.

He slid, barely managing to dodge Ephemer’s strike while directing Strelitzia’s force away from him.

“Shit,” Ephemer said.

“Alright, game’s up,” Luxu said, glancing around. “Where’s blondie? And the kids?”

Strelitzia and Ephemer glanced at each other.

Ephemer grinned, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice. “Wouldn’t  _ you _ like to know, weatherboy?”

Luxu hissed, charging the two of them.

~*~*~*~

“Hey, Sora,” Vanitas said. “Did you bring the, uh, yknow…”

“Yes,” Sora said. “I don’t think this is the time for a break, though.”

“Who said anything about a break?”

Ventus looked between them in confusion, before turning to the rest of the group. “What is--”

Namine grinned.

~*~*~*~

“You are not Ienzo,” Not-Terra said.

“Sure ain’t,” Elrena said. “Who are you?”

Not-Terra shot Isa a nervous glance. “Uh,” He said.

“This is a whole guy,” Isa said. “What are you up to?”

“Hi… you. Uh,” Elrena rubbed the back of her head. “We kinda figured we should get the noncombatant somewhere safe.”

Isa looked down at Xircon, who was looking between him and Not-Terra with a sort of confused wariness.

“Fair enough,” He said. Then he turned to Not-Terra. “You fine waiting for Ienzo while I take Xircon to someone with at least a marginally better idea how to soothe a child than we do?”

“The only advice I have has to do with a specific child, who is not this one,” Not-Terra agreed. “I can wait.”

“And you won’t push random buttons while I’m gone?”

“No.”

Isa narrowed his eyes for a moment, but figured that pushing it wasn’t going to help.

“Come on, kid,” Isa said. “Let’s go.”

~*~*~*~

Lauriam sat up and rubbed his head. Around him was a field spattered with crane lilies.

“Ah,” He said. “The universe has a sense of humor, then.”

He stood.

When he’d reformed, he’d crushed one of the plants.

“Naturally,” He muttered.

A ways off, there was a tower. It had no clock, but it peaked over the top of everything in between it and him.

Something nudged his thoughts, reminding him of something that Demyx had mentioned, of…

“Elrena,” Lauriam blurted out. He started to run towards the tower. “Elrena! Are you there? Elrena!?”

He ran.

He kept running.

He wove through every obstacle, keeping his eyes on the top of that tower peaking over all of it.

When he finally reached the tower (was it really tall enough to be seen over all of that?) he ran up the steps to the door, and pounded on the wood with his fist as he tried to catch his breath.

The door creaked open and he brushed inside without thinking.

“Elrena?” He called again.

“She has long since left.”

Lauriam whirled, staring into the unfamiliar face of a wizard. “What do you mean?” He demanded. Someone else’s instincts had him bare his teeth. “Where is she?”

The wizard looked down at him imperiously, and he felt something beneath his skin writhe with anger. There was no answer.

“Where is she?” He pushed again, trying to ignore the lump forming in his throat, trying to ignore the tears gathering at the edges of his eyes. “Where’s my friend?”

“You have been through a lot,” The wizard said. “You should rest.”

“I have done nothing  _ but _ rest for a thousand years!” Lauriam yelled. “I didn’t  _ exist _ ! My friends-- hell, my  _ sister _ \-- they got-- they  _ all _ got hurt! Because of  _ me _ ! None of this would have happened if-- if--”

He couldn’t bring himself to continue.

The wizard’s gaze did not soften, but it might not have known how to. “I will call Merlin,” He decided. “He will probably be more help than I.”

Lauriam hunched his shoulders, clutching his own arms, and tried not to sob.

~*~*~*~

The keychair slammed into Luxu’s back, and the onlookers cheered.

Luxu turned, drawing his keyblade.

Ventus sat there, a challenging expression on his face as the others regrouped.

When had everyone arrived? Where were  _ his _ allies, who were supposed to keep things running smoothly? Where were his pieces, that were supposed to distract them?

He was surrounded.

He was alone.

“No,” He whispered. “This isn’t-- You’re not-- I--”

“It’s over,” Ephemer said. “You know that, right? This isn’t what was written, and it was never going to be.”

“It  _ has _ to be,” Luxu spat. “If it won’t be, then-- then--”

“Then what were you doing?” Sora finished.

Luxu laughed. “You always did get people a little too well.”

“Luxu,” Ava begged. “It doesn’t have to end like  _ this _ . Stand down,  _ please _ .” Her voice broke on the last word. Like she missed him. Like she hadn’t betrayed them all.

“For you, Ava?” He said. “Never.”

He lunged, but Brain was already there, keyblade raised. Luxu stopped, right before their keyblades would have crashed together.

He could hate his sister. He could hate everything she’d done.

But he couldn’t bring himself to hate her son. Not  _ Blayne _ , the little oracle who’d helped fill the hole in his heart from preserving causality as much as he’d managed to.

They stood there, keyblades less than half an inch apart, each waiting for the other to move and hoping he wouldn’t.

Luxu could not hate the man in front of him.

He did not have to.

He knocked him aside, slashing at Ava, his keyblade catching on her own.

Above them floated a hollowed out approximation of Kingdom Hearts. Below them, an explosion far enough to be disregarded unmasked a man none of them cared enough about to consider.

It was not the end of the world.

Worlds are hard to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to make some jokes but Strelitzia and Ephemer made all the jokes.
> 
> Vanitas is aiming the perfect shot to bean Luxu with a juicebox btw. It's difficult bc the guy keeps moving but yknow


	104. Have you ever wanted to watch someone get dunked on who really, truly deserved it

Ansem the Wise sat up, rubbing his head.

Everything had gone  _ wrong _ on his end. He’d been supposed to be there. He’d been supposed to help Riku overcome the darkness that still surrounded him, the lingering essence of one of Ansem’s own traitorous apprentices. He’d been supposed to help in the process of Sora regaining his memories after Castle Oblivion. Something  _ should have happened _ at Castle Oblivion!

(All the people who would have been hurt because of those dodged events did not occur to him. All the people who would have been recollected by someone who never had the chance to grow beyond those expectations and who would have continued to hurt and all the people Ansem would have hurt directly were not important to him.)

But none of that  _ had _ happened.

Ansem had activated his machine alone, save for someone who should not have been present at all; the little king had never even approached him. Even leading up to this, the Organization had been acting off. He’d chalked it up to them dying in a different order, but that hadn’t been all, had it?

Sora must have changed this. Sora must have changed fate.

Really, he should have expected something like that from the hero. People like that were never satisfied.

He chuckled, in spite of himself. He couldn’t really  _ blame _ the boy, could he? For reaching for a happier story? For wanting to steer the narrative himself, into some better beyond?

It would never end. Life never did, not like a fairytale.

But Ansem couldn’t blame a child for wanting the rest after all of this to be a nice one.

~*~*~*~

Dyme didn’t  _ want _ to admit that he was weaker than he’d used to be, but transport was proving difficult.

“No, I  _ don’t _ want to take a dark corridor, I don’t have your fucking coat,” He muttered.

Demyx’s presence cowed, but Dyme felt reminded that, unlike him, Demyx knew how to get where they were trying to go.

There was a cough behind him, and Dyme turned, expecting to see one of the people who had found him having changed their mind.

Instead…

“Dyme?” Aced asked.

“Aced,” Dyme said.

He wasn’t sure how to feel.

“What happened to this place?” Aced asked.

“What happened-- The fucking  _ keyblade war _ fucking  _ shattered _ one world into a bunch of different ones, and set off a whole  _ shit ton _ of apocalypses in all the bits that were too close!” Dyme exploded.

“Language--” Aced tried.

“ _ No _ ,” Dyme said. “Fuck no. The only reason I didn’t die to fucking  _ laser giants made of fire _ a thousand years ago is because that Luxu bastard-- who you  _ could have fucking told me about, by the way _ \-- took my  _ fucking _ heart so he could indoctrinate the resulting guy into a  _ cult _ ! A fucking  _ cult _ , Aced!”

He was breathing hard, glaring at his cousin.

Aced, for his part, had raised his hands defensively. “Dyme, please--”

“What the  _ fuck _ !” Dyme said. “ _ Don’t _ try to calm me down, I just-- You  _ knew _ ! You  _ knew _ what that war would  _ do _ , why did you go along with it?”

Aced looked at him for a long moment. “You are still a child,” He decided. “Despite how--”

“I don’t give a  _ shit _ if you respect me anymore,” Dyme said. “Just  _ tell _ me! Tell me  _ why _ !”

Demyx’s heart mumbled a poorly timed song reference, which did not particularly help Dyme’s mood.

Aced stepped forward, reaching for him as if to draw him into a hug. “You wouldn’t--”

“I wouldn’t understand?” Dyme said.

Aced nodded.

Dyme turned away from him. “Maybe not,” He said. “But maybe that’s just because  _ you _ don’t.”

“Dyme--”

“I don’t want to see you again,” Dyme said.

Aced jerked backwards, hurt. “What?”

“I don’t,” Dyme repeated. “I don’t want to see you again. Not unless you’re going to apologize, and even then, I don’t want to see you  _ after _ that. I don’t think you realize what you  _ did _ just yet, but… I don’t trust you not to do something like that again.”

“Dyme, I’m--”

“I  _ know _ ,” Dyme said. “You’re my cousin. You’re my cousin, and I love you, and I’m never going to feel safe around you ever again because you literally shattered the universe and you  _ won’t even acknowledge that you did anything wrong _ .”

“I didn’t mean--”

“I know! You think I don’t  _ know _ that? I  _ know _ you didn’t mean to hurt me, but you did! And it wasn’t just me, it was everyone I ever had the opportunity to care about!”

The two of them stood there for a long time.

“I never wanted to hurt you,” Aced said.

“You’re not even  _ listening _ to me,” Dyme said.

Demyx’s heart called forward a dark corridor, and Dyme didn’t care enough not to take it.

~*~*~*~

Isa found Aqua and Lea in the castle’s cafeteria.

He didn’t even have to say anything. Lea ran to him, wrapping him in a hug and sending him staggering backwards.

Xircon ducked out of the way.

“I was so worried,” Lea said. “It’s stupid, but I was.”

“It’s not stupid,” Isa muttered. “I love you, too.”

Lea laughed.

“Uh…” Aqua said. “Introductions?”

“Oh!” Lea said, pulling back a little. “Aqua, this is my best friend, Isa.”

“Pleasure,” Isa said.

“Likewise,” Aqua said. Then she turned to Xircon. “And you are…?”

“Xircon,” Xircon said. He sounded a little put off. “What’s going on right now, exactly?”

“War,” Lea said.

“Lea,” Isa said, punching Lea’s shoulder.

“What?” Lea looked offended. “He asked.”

“War…” Xircon said, taking a moment to remember the definition. “War?! Are Roxas and Marluxia going to be okay??”

“Damn, I hope so,” Lea said.

“ _ Lea _ !” Isa and Aqua said in unison.

“ _ What _ ?”

~*~*~*~

Luxu hopped back, dodging the arc of Kairi’s blade. He ducked under Ventus’ strike and jumped, landing on an artificial ceiling and avoiding Sora.

He kept dodging spells, even from the newly re-arrived Elrena, while he tried to figure out what to do with the situation.

Between the lot of them, they had too many potions and too many spells for him to take them out with any efficiency. He wouldn’t be able to separate them, either. Not here and now. They were smarter than that.

His musings were interrupted when Strelitzia and Ephemer launched Elrena into the air and she flew up past him, coming down to spike him into the ground like he was an ill-fated volleyball.

Instinctively, he lowered the gravity around him, but that didn’t do much for his momentum.

He hit the ground hard, a large group converging with the idea of beating him to death.

He lowered the gravity further, and lashed out, knocking everyone around him up and off balance.

  
“You didn’t think I’d go down  _ easy _ , did you?” He laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why do they call him Ansem the Wise? He's very dumb, actually
> 
> The scene with Dyme and Aced in this chapter is probably one of my favorite scenes I've ever written. I almost read it for my creative writing final. Aced earned that roast
> 
> Luxu's getting what's coming to him soon enough I promise


	105. These two scenes could have been once scene but the extra eighth of a second it takes to scroll past the scene breaker is vital for pacing, in my opinion

A juice box hit Luxu in the head. As it ricocheted, he noticed that it was labeled “fruit punch”.

He turned, looking at Vanitas in disbelief.

“Look,” Vanitas said, tossing another box lightly into the air and eyeing it as it slowly moved back down into his hand. “It’s what I got, okay?”

“Wh-- Why do you have that?” Luxu asked, almost in spite of himself.

Vanitas shrugged. “Always do.”

Luxu managed to dodge  _ that _ box, when it was thrown at him. However, from behind him, it was thrown  _ again _ .

“Take that!” Ventus cheered.

“This is--” Luxu began, but he cut off as that juice box, the first one, and another one all hit him from different directions.

He sighed, and raised the gravity until the people around him buckled and fell, or lost the ability to raise their arms enough to roll.

“Seriously,” He said. “You people need to realize how overpowered I am.”

“You’re a little  _ bitch _ is what you are,” Elrena muttered.

“And yet, I am the one trapping everyone with gravity powers,” Luxu said. “I  _ win _ . This ends on  _ my _ terms.”

Sora found his own gravity returning to normal, even as it seemed to increase for everyone else around him. He looked around in increasing confusion and distress.

“Little hero,” Luxu said. “Won’t you fight?  _ I _ don’t know how long your friends can stand this, do you?”

Several of the people around Sora coughed, trying to move air through their lungs.

Sora knew what was going on, but he didn’t know what he was supposed to do to  _ change _ the situation. Luxu was baiting him, but lives were on the line.

How had  _ any _ of this happened?

He rolled forward, summoning his keyblade and clashing with the man.

He was pushed backwards, and had to brake quickly before he ran over someone.

The whole fight was like that, a whole half minute of stalemate.

“What do you  _ want _ ?” Sora demanded. “You’re killing them, just tell me what you  _ want _ !”

“I want you to  _ fight _ !” Luxu said.

“I  _ am _ !” Tears welled up in Sora’s eyes. “I  _ am _ fighting! But you’re a thousand years old and you trained, like,  _ forever _ , and you’re simultaneously killing all my friends while I fight you! I’m not even sixteen yet! No one’s taught me jack  _ shit _ ! Why does it have to be  _ me _ ? Give me a break!”

Luxu stopped.

Sora wiped his eyes, glaring up at the man.

Around them, people gasped for air.

“You know,” Luxu said, very quietly. “I never saw his face, but I did see one of his eyes.”

Sora rolled back as Luxu walked forward and knelt in front of him. His gravity manipulation pushed everyone around them away as he started to reach for Sora’s face.

“Yours are the exact same color,” He said. “I haven’t seen it on anyone else. It’s… strange, that it would go away for a thousand years, right?”

Sora rolled back further, feeling himself reach a strange sort of barrier designed to keep him close, and looked around wildly. No less than seven strategies were in obvious formation. Distraction. That’d help. “Who are you talking about?”

Luxu smiled, almost nostalgically. “The Master of Masters,” He said. “Now that I think about it, he  _ was  _ planning on coming back at some point.”

Warning bells went off all through Sora’s mind. Deep-seated alarm mixed with all the emotions he’d been feeling since he reached the World That Never Was.

Buried in his heart, a switch flipped.

~*~*~*~

Ventus managed to get through the barrier of gravity just in time for him to have a front row seat to the change.

Sora’s eyes widened, beginning to turn yellow as an inky, wispy blackness started spreading across his skin from them.

Luxu jerked away as Sora abandoned his wheelchair, dragging himself along the ground with too, too claw-like hands and swiping when he got close.

“Sora--” Ventus tried, but the feral Heartless in front of him only turned and tried to swipe at him, too, so he floated the keychair backwards.

He could feel Luxu’s power trying to push him back away, but a spark of rage and indignation and a thousand forgotten emotions spurred him forward and he knocked the man down.

“He’s not himself!” Luxu snapped. “This is no place for you in your condition, I can contain--”

“Oh, yeah, sure!” Ventus said. “Yeah, just-- just act like you  _ care _ now, sure! It’s not like  _ you were trying to kill me a minute ago _ . Oh. Wait.”

“You’ll be  _ fine _ ,” Luxu said.

“Just stop,” Ventus said. “Just… Just stop.”

Sora-- the feral thing that had once been Sora, but wasn’t presently-- slashed at Luxu’s ankle.

“Ventus--”

“I  _ know _ what you told Roxas, about--” Ventus gestured vaguely. “Gotta say, pretty shit job of it, if true.”

Luxu flinched.

Ventus lowered himself to the ground and dispelled his keychair. “How old was I, when I was given to Master Xehanort?”

The Heartless turned to him and began to pull itself across the floor.

“Eight,” Luxu said. He started forward, intending to stop the shadow, but Ventus raised a hand.

“Four years with that man,” Ventus said. “No wonder there was enough darkness in my heart for Vanitas to be born. There was probably more of  _ him _ than there was of  _ me _ .”

The shadow reached him, reaching for his throat, but Ventus leaned forward and wrapped the figure in front of him in a hug.

“That’s not quite h--” Luxu began.

“How could you?”

Sora’s Heartless form squirmed in his grip.

“What?”

“How could you?” Ventus looked at him. “You said I was your son. How could you leave me with him? How could you do that to me?”

The Heartless calmed.

“You were going to come out the other end,” Luxu said. “I could only be sure of that if-- if, well…”

“I think it’s abundantly clear now that this isn’t the timeline you were looking for,” Ventus said. “It’s already been said, but it bears repeating. You were wrong. You need to admit that now.”

Sora sagged into his brother’s embrace, radiating a pure, tired relief.

“But I  _ wasn’t _ wrong!” Luxu said. “How could I have been wrong, trying to protect you?”

“The only thing I need protected from is you, Luxu.” Ventus stroked Sora’s hair. “You’re the only legitimate threat left. To  _ any _ of us.”

Luxu stepped back. “I-- I--”

The barriers fell, and everyone else rushed forward, placing themselves between Luxu and Ventus.

Strelitzia stepped forward, out of the crowd.

“I’d love to stand around asking questions,” She said. “I’ve got some I’d really like to know the answers to. Only, see, you’re a lying sack of shit? So…” She gestured vaguely, summoning her keyblade.

“Tell him!” Elrena cheered.

“I’ve got a better idea,” Ephemer said.

Strelitzia nodded, and the two of them put their keyblades through Luxu’s chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [More fan art!](https://cinnamonlover00.tumblr.com/post/618255054766538752/this-doesnt-do-the-scene-any-justice-but-i) Axel may know how to interact with a child anymore but Lea Does Not. Give this comic some love!
> 
> also once again I'd like to give a shoutout to my sister, TammyReadsFics/tamlins-stories-and-poems who not only betas for me but puts up with me sending her pretty much every image I want to put anywhere on AO3 to her over discord so I can get the link.
> 
> ALSO also i need you to appreciate the juice box joke i set up back in [Chapter 75](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422001/chapters/55065490)


	106. This Boss Fight Designed To Vex Playtesters

Ienzo returned with the towel. “Where…”

“Larxene’s Somebody brought a child here,” Not-Terra said. Then he extended a hand. “May I?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah,” Ienzo handed him the towel. “Here.”

Not-Terra set himself down to try to clean off his keyblade as Ienzo moved through the lab to check various machines. Nothing  _ seemed _ out of order.

Not-Terra made a small sound of frustration. When Ienzo turned, he saw that the keyblade did not look any cleaner.

“Towel’s a bust?”

“I would  _ swear _ this thing is leaking,” Not-Terra muttered.

Ienzo considered that. “Put it away, then,” He decided. “Do you want to meet everyone else who’s around right now?”

“I’m not quite sure I’m in the mood.”

“Hm,” Ienzo said. “Are you  _ sure _ you don’t want to meet Aqua, at--”

“Aqua?” Not-Terra stood, dispelling his keyblade in the same motion. “Aqua’s here?”

~*~*~*~

Demyx’s dark corridor spat Dyme out in an empty hallway, and he caught himself on the wall.

He coughed, leaning against it to regain breath and balance.

“We are  _ never _ doing that  _ again _ ,” He said.

Demyx’s heart twinged in agreement.

“Good,” Dyme sighed. He looked around at the hallway, took a deep breath, and set off in a random direction.

After a few minutes, he almost bumped into Vexen’s Somebody.

“Not Demyx,” He said.

“Not Vexen,” Dyme said.

They looked each other over for a few moments.

“Your hair isn’t abhorrent like his.”

Demyx’s heart complained.

“In his defense,” Dyme said. “How was he supposed to fix it?”

Demyx’s heart complained more.

~*~*~*~

“You know that doesn’t work, right?” Luxu said.

“It makes us feel better,” Strelitzia said.

“Mm.” Luxu looked down at the blades sticking through his chest. “You gonna want these back?”

Strelitzia and Ephemer looked at each other. They’d really been hoping that the familial rejection had been enough to make him lose his will to live, so they could kill him and not have to worry about the war thing anymore.

They withdrew their keyblades.

“Look,” Ephemer said. “We all want our chances at catharsis for everything you’ve done, but that’s obviously not gonna work right now. Can’t you just… stop? You’ve already lost.”

“Have I?” Luxu asked. “You can’t kill me. You can’t contain me. Let me ask you something, kiddo; what’s to stop me from trying again?”

“This isn’t the--” Ephemer began.

“The confrontation at the Castle That Never Was was never  _ meant _ to be the final event,” Luxu said. “This isn’t over.”

Everyone looked around at each other.

“Are you this fucking stupid?” Kairi breathed. “ _ How _ are you  _ this  _ fucking stupid?”

“Can you use your princess powers to shut him up?” Riku asked her.

“I think I’ve killed enough people this year,” Kairi said. “Personally, I am excited for the part where we are done doing that.”

Vanitas approached Luxu, summoning his keyblade. “If it’s a pure heart we need, I might be able to do something,” He said.

“It doesn’t  _ matter _ ,” Luxu said. “I can’t be killed in any way that matters, and I’m warded from darkness by this coat anyways.”

Everyone looked around at each other.

“Who’s he trying to convince?” Ventus asked.

“He only has to convince himself,” Yozora said.

Vanitas rolled his eyes, and darkness began steaming off of him and his blade. “Well,” He said. “He sure as hell can’t convince  _ me _ .”

He lunged, and his keyblade reached up and went through Luxu’s neck.

Luxu stepped back, the blade not having affected him in any noticeable way.

“This is horrendous,” Elrena said.

“Aw, boo hoo,” Luxu said. “Cry me a river. I’ll die when I’m out of prophecies.”

“You fucking  _ are _ !” Ava said. “The battle with us foretellers, and where you used your name, was the final entry, even if we disregard the fact that nothing went how it was written.”

Vanitas stepped backwards, before moving over to Ventus and whispering something in the other boy’s ear. Ventus and Sora looked at him, startled.

“C-Come  _ on _ , Ava,” Luxu said. “You  _ know _ that doesn’t happen here, and I barely saw most of you-- I haven’t seen  _ Gula  _ since this started, and--”

“Gula’s making soup,” Igni said.

“Shit, he would,” Luxu muttered.

Ventus motioned Riku and Kairi over and said something quiet, and the two began to help Sora back into his chair. Vanitas, for his part, picked Ventus up.

“You’re a stubborn bastard, aren’t you?” Yozora said, leveling Luxu with a supremely unamused expression.

“It’s my saving grace,” Luxu said.

Ventus’ keyblade erupted from his chest.

“It’s really not,” The boy said. “At this point, it’s caused more problems than anything else in my life.”

Luxu stared down at the keyblade. “Y-You-- You--”

“You could have just let it go,” Ventus said. “Taken the loss. Accepted the fact that this isn’t going to be how you wanted it, and changed course to make a nice life of it, or whatever. You’ve been around a while.”

“You’d try to kill your own father?” Luxu asked.

“You were never my father,” Ventus said. “You lost that chance years ago, and you lost it for Braig when you did, too.”

The air was very still.

After a long moment, Xigbar began to distort around the edges and disappear.

~*~*~*~

“Hm,” Dyme said. “That  _ is _ an issue.”

“I could do it if I had those notes, I think,” Even said. “Whatever quirk of Nobody physiology lets Namine subsist entirely on instant macaroni and juice boxes  _ can’t _ extend  _ that _ far.”

“To be fair, that sounds like a pretty well rounded diet to me,” Dyme said. “Carbs, vitamins, proteins…”

Even gave him a long, hard look. “How have you lived this long?”

“Demyx hibernated,” Dyme said.

“Of  _ course _ he did,” Even grumbled.

They were silent for a while.

Dyme snapped his fingers, face lighting up. “Of course!” He said. “Marluxia has to know!”

“What?” Even said. “Why Marluxia?”

“Xircon,” Dyme said. “Marluxia said he found him in a lab, and-- well, he  _ has _ to be a replica. That means Marluxia knows where to find replicas.”

“That doesn’t mean he knows what to  _ do _ with them,” Even said. “ _ Or _ that he’ll be able to tell us. I don’t know if you noticed, Dyme, but there’s been some murder.”

“I’m trying to think positive,” Dyme said.

“Considering our luck?” Even raised an eyebrow. “Bad choice.”

“Hey!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all, last chapter: Hey, Luxu's dead now!  
Me: ha. you fools. i havent made this about dads yet
> 
> Luxu:  
Ventus:  

> 
> I'd talk about the other stuff but my legs are killing me and im tired. uhhh. next is the last chapter! Thats funky


	107. Sequel Baiting My Oscar Bait Fanfiction

“It doesn’t feel real,” Sora said. “Was he really responsible for all of this? Is it really over?”

“It sounded like there was someone else,” Riku said uneasily. “Like there was another layer on this whole thing.”

Sora touched his own face, just beneath his eyes. “Right,” He said. He felt… queasy, almost. Like he’d eaten something that didn’t agree with him.

Then again, he might just have been hungry.

“There was our master,” Ava said. “I… You kids need to rest, at least. I’ll be vigilant for all of you. It’s the least I can do.”

“I think I’m older than you now, Mother,” Brain said.

“That’s not the point,” Ava said. “I… I had a hand in this. More than I really want to admit. I can at least do this much, to help fix it.”

~*~*~*~

“It seems a certain replacement brought the spirit of her old home with her.”

She groaned, hand going to her head.

“Are you the regrets she ran away from?”

The figure helped her stand, in that strange world she did not know.

“Your absence grew without you,” They said. “Much like my brother’s. I’ve seen him, you know. But I haven’t let him see me. He wouldn’t know what to think.”

“Who are you?”

“Someone who should have died a long, long time ago. Perhaps, in much the same way as you did. The first time, I mean. Actually,  _ does _ that absence count as death?”

“You talk a lot.”

“Well,  _ there’s _ something I haven’t heard in a long time. Last time was… Last time was you, as well, Skuld. Ah, but you’ve forgotten since then. Death does that, to most of us.”

Skuld looked at this stranger, who acted so much like they knew her, and thought for a long moment about whether there was any spark of familiarity.

Maybe. Maybe…

~*~*~*~

When everyone who had opted to return to the Garden arrived back in the castle courtyard, the group split up again almost immediately.

Merlin apparently needed Strelitzia and Elrena for something, and Vanitas and Roxas (and probably Ventus, but they didn’t say) wanted to visit Ventus’ unconscious body. Brain, Astrid, Sean, and Igni wanted to check on the town.

Everyone else had their own ideas on how to wind down from the whole situation.

Soon, the courtyard was empty except for Sora, Kairi, and Riku.

“Just us, huh?” Riku said.

“Just like old times,” Kairi said.

“We weren’t that cut off from the other kids, were we?” Sora asked.

The other two looked at him.

“I  _ tried _ not to be, anyways,” He muttered.

“I think…” Riku said. “I think on some level, we knew something like this was going to happen.”

“We had already intended to leave, at least,” Kairi said.

“Would we have wanted to, if we knew what that would mean?” Sora asked. “I mean… We-- We’ve--”

“We’ve been hurt,” Riku said. “A lot. But…”

Kairi nodded. “We’ve grown a lot. Gained a lot, too, even as much as we’ve lost. I wouldn’t trade this, I think.”

“Mm,” Sora said, not quite convinced.

~*~*~*~

Lauriam was still standing where Yen Sid had left him when the door to the tower opened again.

Two bodies barrelled into him. “Lauri!”

His breathing caught, not for the first time, but (surprisingly) not on another sob. “Litzi,” He choked out. “Ellie.”

“It’s okay now,” Strelitzia said. “It’s gonna be okay now.”

“You’re not alone again,” Elrena said. “You don’t have to grieve anymore.”

He managed a small chuckle. “Only took a thousand years,” He said. “And dying twice.”

They stood there together for a long time.

~*~*~*~

Aqua froze, looking at the door, and her companions turned to look with her.

“Aqua,” Not-Terra breathed.

“Terra,” She answered.

He shook his head. “Not quite,” He said. “Not yet, Aqua, I--”

“You need help,” She said.

“Yes.”

They stepped towards each other, equally wary of what might happen next.

Aqua summoned her keyblade, and Isa put his hands in front of Lea and Xircon to stop them from rushing forward. She pointed the business end towards the floor, adjusting her grip. Not-Terra hesitantly reached out, taking the handle of it alongside her.

“I have no idea what I’m doing,” She laughed.

He laughed, too. “Neither do I. At this point, I would say that probably means it’s working.”

She considered that. “Adds up,” She decided.

A soft light filled the room. When it faded, Aqua and Terra pulled each other into a hug.

“Never do that again,” She muttered.

“Which part?”

“Any of it. I don’t want to lose my brother again.”

Terra stiffened. “Ven--”

“We’re… working on it,” Aqua said. “We have to figure out how to get his heart out of Roxas, but…”

“He’s going to be okay.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s good.”

“I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

She shoved him. “You, like, didn’t exist or something,” She said.

“As if that’s  _ ever _ stopped anyone from doing anything,” Terra said, shoving her back.

~*~*~*~

“Do you want to call it a day?” Kairi asked.

“Yeah, probably,” Sora said. “I just… I  _ know _ we beat Luxu and all, but I can’t help but feel like things got  _ worse _ today.”

“Well, uh…” Kairi said.

“No, he’s right, today  _ sucked _ ,” Riku said.

“Yeah, I can’t really think of an argument,” Kairi decided. “Just because some things got a little bit better today doesn’t mean they didn’t also go to shit in other ways.”

She and Riku sat down, leaning against the sides of Sora’s chair.

“What do we do from here, do you think?” Riku asked.

“I dunno,” Sora said.

“Me neither,” Kairi said. “But things are gonna get better from now on.”

The other two looked at her.

“What makes you so sure?” Sora asked.

“Because,” Kairi said. “I’m not gonna let them do anything else.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the fic! "Over" is a strong word for a story, in my opinion, because these characters are still alive so obv more stuff is going to happen to them (as the number of stories already in this series that are set after this can attest to) but after this they're going to get a chance to rest, and most of the stuff that happens after this is going to be a lot less "save the universe". We've already proven they can do that and I don't have any obligation to keep game mechanics around so narratively I don't think they have to do it again.
> 
> The Master of Masters /is/ a loose end, technically. I've mentioned before, somewhere, that I know exactly what he's been up to. I've got a little bit more of an idea /why/ he's up to it now, but I'm not sure how I'm going to format everyone else finding out and dealing with that so it'll probably be a bit before he comes up again.
> 
> The last part of this story was written during this whole quarantine thing. I think my state's technically open now, but I'm still not going places. They can't make me. I've also spent the last few years recovering from depression, and while I've beaten back a lot of the emotional aspects of it I'm... definitely still depressed, lol. Kairi's final lines here are sort of a vocalization of what I've been telling myself all this time. Things are going to get better, damnit!
> 
> I don't recall if I've mentioned this before (I probably have sdfasdfadfa) but this fic was originally two separate concepts! Dad!Xemnas and Wheelchair!Sora were not always planned to be the same story. But for Dad!Xemnas to have its proper impact I wanted Sora to skip Castle Oblivion, and didn't really have a reason for that, and I didn't really have a plot for Wheelchair!Sora beyond "Sora hates stairs personally now". I wrote Chiming to establish a concept for it and complained to my sister (TammyReadsFics) about not having time for both AUs. I'm pretty sure she was the one who suggested I combine them, but that was about a year ago now! Time flies, huh? I was expecting this fic to be ~40k, maybe a little bit longer, and I wasn't expecting /near/ the amount of spinoffs I've got planned. It's the autism, I think. I get obsessed.
> 
> In the works at this point is a fic about Riku being... a little bit of a himbo. In the planning stages are the Master of Masters issue (which will probably be + more Dad!Xemnas shenanigans also), Riku's adoption and time travelling Sephiroth. I might also write a bit about the reconstruction of Daybreak Town, and the process of everyone moving into accommodations that are maybe a little bit more personal than the castle. They can all fit in there, but most people like to have less roommates I think.
> 
> I want to say thank you to everyone who's come this far with me! I've really enjoyed writing this and I've especially enjoyed posting it and reading + replying to your comments! I look forward to continuing to do so in the future! I know things are funky rn but writing is a major stress relief for me, so even if you don't see any updates in this series for little while you can check my profile and I'll almost certainly have been writing something. *promos my ffvii crossover* *promos my ffvii crossover* *promos my
> 
> See you soon!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr @ roxasboxas and starburstdragon! i tried to add links but i broke the note (T.T;)
> 
> come talk to me!!


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